A/N: -flails arms- Uhhhh, mind you. The Edward Elric of BBI is pretty much just like that in the manga. But he also got a little...sentimental. If not angsty. Especially with all the Elricest Ocean-X was trying to push in front of the screen for all of us to ogle at, and the -cough- RoyxEd(Oh...God). XP Anyway, I can only try for sentimentality here so that I don't have to change the second genre into tragedy. Hehe. Uh, should I?

Also, Winry's personality's based on the manga version. So she's not a maniac about taking things apart, she's no vainer than the Wicked Queen and her mirror, and she's definitely an easy, sensitive, yet honest person when it comes to her feelings. Overall, a nice, honest girl. XD

Besides, the game's more based on the manga. So I thought not only did it suit my standards, but the proper flow of the storyline.

Recall the Other

Gentle Chirps of Comfort

"Aishite, aishite, aishite, aishite, anata o tada motometeru..."

Drops fell from the night sky to mingle with the earth. The ambience of the softening rainfall hung over the small backyard. On the delicate leaves of the blooming firefly grass did the rain fall upon. And close by, a man dressed fully in a military uniform sat with a lost gaze on the lonely, stemming plant. They were both alone now. In solitude to do as they pleased. Whatever they wanted...

But what he wanted...

...was...

Plip.

A tear fell on the ground. Only one. And it carried every bitter memory recollected by the golden-haired young man among the flowers.

Why...why...?

What had he done wrong? Other than try to keep his brother with him? His own flesh and blood? As his golden eyes sharpened, his anger grew, and he wanted to punch the soil and take his frustrations out on something, anything. Anything to get rid of the pain.

Alphonse Elric. Gone. Never to return. All because of him. Edward Elric.

His teeth gritted, mouth set in an angry curve.

...What else can I do?

Had it been all for nothing? Was Al doomed to be rejected by his given body all along? Didn't he have a right to stay in this world as much as his older brother? Why couldn't he do anything right? What had he done to earn this?

...A lot, was the answer to the last question. Performing human transmutation--a forbidden act according to the laws of alchemy--to resurrect their lost mother had only been the beginning of their sad journey. They...him and Al...they were too young to understand the darker reason behind the illegal practice. Failure was their reward...and the price of losing more than one limb for Edward was paid, or just one if he hadn't saved his younger brother, whose soul then became attached to a suit of armor, in exchange for his older brother's arm. Ed becoming a military dog was their only option, their only hope for the restoration of their bodies. 5 years of research and a journey of dark tales and dangerous missions embarked later, he found it. He found hope. Just...in the wrong place.

So in the end...maybe it was really all...for nothing... he thought morosely.

If he could just go back to that moment...Al's last moments...

If I could just do it again...without...that bastard father of mine...without the homunculi...without sacrificing millions of innocent lives for that of one individual...

Without fear of losing Al ever again...!

So wrapped up was he in his thoughts of trying transmutation again, that he didn't hear the soft knocks on his front door, which he'd left unlocked.

-x-

Winry Rockbell startled herself when she tried the doorknob and it gave way for her to come inside. Cautiously, she stepped into the hallway and left her suitcase at the entrance, eyes adjusting to the darkness. At first, she considered calling for him, then decided against it. She didn't know why, but she felt like he'd run away knowing she came here, which was ridiculous. Why would he run away from her, his best friend and automail mechanic? The floorboards creaked beneath her feet as she made her way into the dining room and the kitchen, both empty. Upstairs, in Al's room, the bathroom, and in Ed's room she checked. Still no sign of him. Where is he?

Winry briefly considered the idea that Ed wasn't home at all, and had wandered off somewhere else. It worried her. He worried her. And thoughts of him committing suicide kept bouncing off her brain(for now) as she tried not to think about it.

He wouldn't be that kind of person... Winry insisted, reassuring herself. He wouldn't kill himself out of depression...

But she knew Ed well enough that he'd even give up his life for Al in return. No matter what the cost. And it began to sink in. ...What if he tried again...?

Taking the stairs back down, Winry went back into the kitchen, white shoes patting the black and white linoleum tiles. So this is where Al cooks...

She could only imagine the younger Elric brother tending to Ed like a housewife. The idea of Ed cooking--or at least, trying to--spurred images into her head that she knew she shouldn't be thinking of right now; she didn't want to be laughing in the current situation.

I need to stop digressing and find Ed!

Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning, much to Winry's fright, and she feared that the storm was coming back again. Something caught her attention however, and she perked up. The kitchen had been illuminated for only a brief moment, but she still spotted the door at the far end of the kitchen; one she didn't doubt lead outside.

-x-

Here you are
Daylight's star
Made out of miracles

Perfection
Of your own
You alone
O so incredible

Each atom
Sings to me
"Set me free
From chains of the physical."

O free me, O free me

A metal hand reached out to brush against the firefly grass, before reaching out with another hand made of real flesh to cup the young plant. There was a pause, then, ever so gently, he plucked it up from the soil to hold it in both hands. He felt so lost again, his mind hazy as a memory of Al's words returned to him...

The mirror melts,
I'm somewhere else
Inside eternity

Where you on
Outstretched wings
Sing within
The Garden of Everything

Where memories
Call to me
Backward dreams?
Or phantom reality?

Call to me, they call to me

"'Nii-san, do you see this? It's firefly grass. It blooms only at night." his younger brother tended to the plant wearing a pair of garden gloves as he patted the freshly-turned soil down. He turned to his brother with wide, gentle chocolate-brown eyes and smiled. "I once heard that if you hold this plant close to your heart and think of the one most important to you, you'd be able to reach out to that person, and hear their thoughts as they would hear yours."

"Al..." he'd scoffed at that story, before adding a little more quietly, "I don't need to hold grass to me to stay in touch with you."

And so here we are
Lovers of Lost Dimensions
Burning supernovas of all sound and sight
Every touch, a temptation
And for every sense, a sensation

And now Edward Elric sat there, among the flowers that Al had so painstakingly gone to lengths watering and plotting. In his hands he cradled the delicate young flower, its fragile beauty held by a lost stare. Al...

Letting a small sob escape his lips, a noise he didn't realize caught the attention of an unexpected visitor, he brought the grass to his chest and bowed his head in prayer. Al...Al...can you hear me? his thoughts laced with quiet desperation. Does my voice really reach you?

"Al...! Al!" his voice called out hoarsely in the night, willing for his calls to be carried to his only sibling, trying to channel every thought and every word in one message for Alphonse Elric to receive. He waited in the silence that followed, waited for an answer from the heavens, from his brother. Then...

"...Ed?"

The blonde-haired teenager brought his head back up. "...Al?" he sounded hopeful, desperate. Believing his little brother had actually spoken to him, his perception made a far miss of identifying the voice, not to mention the way he was addressed.

"...Ed."

The second time finally hit the target, and his forehead creased in confusion, unable to relate somehow. Slowly, Edward Elric craned his neck to look behind him, to meet the blue-eyed gaze of someone he hadn't seen in more than a while. And his own brilliant irises widened a fraction or two.

"...Winry..."

-x-

Eyes of pure
Deep azure
Quite unbelievable

The sun's daughter
You've been made
Not to fade
Quite inconceivable

Each atom sings to me
"Set me free
From chains of the physical."

O free me, O free me

Winry Rockbell stood in the back garden of the Elrics' home, curious, eloquent azure eyes trained on Edward Elric, the boy that was her childhood best friend, once playmate and brotherly figure, now a growing man of sturdiness and an admired figure in the military, loved and respected by all, even the new Fuhrer, though he would never admit it. She eyed the long golden tresses, his pale complexion, the eyes that burned with passion and hard-core determination as she always knew they did. Every feature of his, once glowing and radiant, now all seemed dull and almost...lifeless.

She took a few tentative steps towards him, one hand nervously clutching the front of her cardigan as she approached, almost afraid that if she moved too quickly he'd rise and bolt off like a frightened deer. She found his gaze--ever perceptive despite the lack of light in his eyes--traveling the length of her torso from her face, all the way down to her ankles, making her feel like she was being X-rayed. She found herself reddening at the way he was staring at her, as if he had never seen her before, or as if she was a transmuted species being cross-examined by a State Alchemist such as himself. Finally, she closed the wide gap between them, and slowly, she crouched before his slumped, seated form, her own cerulean gaze scanning him as well, even though he was now eyeing her with wonder and what she almost believed was awe. She must have really surprised him with her sudden appearance. Then, his gaze sharpened a little, as if...he'd just realized that she was there, and he stuttered, "W-Winry..."

A gentle smile spreading across her face in spite of herself, she nodded. "Hi...Ed."

"Y...you..." Ed ventured, blinking frequently, as if he couldn't believe she was sitting right there in front of him. "...you're here..."

A love like ours
A starry flower
Through seasons and centuries

As rivers reach the sea
You'll reach me
With songs of your symmetry

A small boat
There will float
To far off coasts
The Isle of Infinity

Come with me, O come with me

A little uncertain, she lifted a pale hand to touch the face of the estranged man before her, whose appearance began to melt into the wild, rambunctious little child he used to be before her very eyes. Her soft fingertips made contact with his cold cheek, and he gave a start. But he didn't draw away. His golden irises were still fixated on her delicate features, looking at her in a way that she never saw him do, but chose to brush it off as a gaze full of questions, such as why she was there, why did she come, and how she managed to get in. She had a feeling though, that he'd figured a possible tip-off from any certain someone in Central HQ brought her here to him, but if he was angry or even a little upset about that, he wasn't showing it. The look he was giving her now proved that fact. Perhaps...he was even grateful, and a little appreciative of her arrival. Then, the firefly grass held tightly to his chest caught her attention, and a questioning look fell over her face as she stared at the five-petaled beauty in his hands. He noticed both gaze and flower, then felt embarassed. He paused briefly before saying in a low voice, "Firefly grass...keeps you in touch with someone from a great distance...Al told me that." he bowed his head in shame of himself, unable to look at her, "I...I never believed...but if it actually helps...I just..." his voice faded into nothing more than a whisper, ignoring the way his voice shook as he spoke. "...I...can't pick up from here."

Winry raised her gaze from the firefly grass to look at him, and as the lost look crossed his shaded expression again, she understood. He was broken.

Something in her heart stirred, and a part of that went out to him. She couldn't stop looking at the slack face of Edward Elric, the face that used to spark with life and spirit, his golden eyes forever blazing with stubborn grit as he pursued the truth, masking his and Al's tragic past behind a stout facade, and speaking volumes of acting upon unprejudiced virtue in the name of his life's work and ambition.

Those eyes...that she grew attached to upon each passing moment that she could look into them...

"Did you know?" he continued, not noticing how her expression changed, or the pained look now clouding her orbs. "I did something incredibly wrong, when I restored Al. Lying about how everything was fine to everybody at HQ, turning a blind eye to the signs, going along with everybody else like nothing could really go wrong. What I've been seeing...were illusions. Or rather...things I only wanted to see.

"I..." he tried to keep his voice steady. "I wanted to believe that...that life could be as easy as it could come, that nothing could tear Al and me apart ever again. How...wrong was I...? How blind could I have been, to something like that? And it was because of my mistake...that I lost Al."

A quiet laugh from Ed caught Winry's attention. The laugh had sounded more like a scoff. Ed...

Here we'll see
Love's lost tree
Made out of miracles

Emotions, crystal leaves
To cover me
And you in eternity

Each atom sings to us
Through the blood
"Love is a miracle"

Sings softly, it sings softly

Then his teeth gritted, as if he was trying to repress a disgusting thought, yet he wanted to admit it. Winry found it difficult to make out his facial expression; with his head still hung low, his long bangs obscured his face.

"I'm an alchemist." he declared quietly, his conviction steady despite how shaky his voice was. "One who pursues the truth, and abides by the principles of alchemy. I musn't try to redefine the laws of equivalent exchange and perform human transmutation, an act that goes against the laws of nature. As a scientist, the mind must be aware of the consequences to be taken if by any chance the transmutation requires something of great value. And every sacrifice has its worth."

There was a silence, then the young man spoke again. "...I failed myself completely. And not just me. Al too." his voice faltered. She thought he was going to cry. "But he...but he didn't want me to be taken. He wouldn't let me...I..."

Ed couldn't say anymore without hurting himself, as much as he wanted that. Without warning, an automail hand acted of its own accord and struck the damp soil between them, surprising even Ed. Winry could only watch his self-torture with wide, cerulean orbs as the very few raindrops left continued to fall on their heads. Both were damp and cold.

Part of her wanted to take that pain away. Another wanted for her to say something. But nothing useful or comforting came to mind. Although she had a speech prepared on the way to their home, nothing it contained was of any great comfort or gentle reassurance. Winry was drawing blanks, and she felt awful to not be of any help at all. Because another part of her was crying for Ed and Al.

...Mostly Ed.

"Winry." he spoke up once more, his voice hollow, and he brought his head up enough for him to lock eyes with her. Sitting straight up, they were exactly at eye level with one another. Blinking slowly, that lost look in his eyes still, Ed offered a miserable, heart-breaking smile to her and asked, "I'm...an idiot, aren't I?"

She was already on the verge of bursting into tears and he had to go and be that way while asking.

And so here we are
Lovers of Lost Dimensions
Burning supernovas of all sound and sight
Every touch, a temptation
And for every sense, a sensation

Unable to hold herself back anymore, she gave in to her urges and threw her arms around him with a small cry, her actions taking him by surprise. Moments ago in the car with Lieutenant Hawkeye, she promised herself that she wouldn't cry and be strong for him, the way he always had been. But her resolve was shattered by his incapability to exert some sort of honest emotion, when he could only summon up sarcastic remarks about himself, and berate his own stupidity for being so oblivious.

She understood; he couldn't bring himself to cry. This was where he was failing in.

Her shoulders racked as sobs escaped her open mouth, and Winry continued to cling to Ed to steady herself as she wept. If he wanted to cry but can't, she'd shed tears for his loss, for Al. Even she cried for that wonderful, gentle-hearted boy alone, knowing she would never see him again, after years of separation, barely seeing each other except for a maintenance check-up. It was all over. He was gone and he could never be returned again. They both had to accept that, especially Ed.

And so here we are
Twin stars of brilliant brightness
Lanterns lit by life for all the depths of night
And every day will return us
To arms of the ever eternal

Ed, meanwhile, could only stare, appalled by Winry. Then she cried, and everything changed. Now, not only was he torn by the death of Al, but his heart, strong and steady, ached at the sight of the crying girl with her arms around his neck, sobbing her heart out on his shoulder. He didn't know what to say, or do. But some part of him...was glad that she was crying. In grief for Al, and for his sake. Despite how much he hated it when she cried, especially when he was the cause. It was always like that. Even as children, he couldn't bear that. Finding that Winry was now the one in need of comfort, Ed felt awkward as he placed one metal-plated hand on her back. Moments later, the gesture was followed by the other made of human flesh. And adjusting quickly to their position, in spite of how embarassed he felt about it, Ed sank into her embrace, and held Winry as she cried, who equally sank further into his arms, unable to stop herself from weeping for them both.

And so here we are
So far from earthy orbits
Burning supernovas of all sound and sight
Where every day will return us
To arms of the ever eternal

The rain fell little by little until it exhausted itself. And as the rain ceased completely, so did the clouds part to let the moon shine through, its glowing body illuminating the entire sky. Stars followed after, appearing one by one, twinkling brightly as the sky cleared of the storm and the rain. But neither noticed the change in the weather. Ed couldn't care less. For the first time since he'd brought Al back and lost him, in Winry's warm embrace, he felt completely relaxed and at ease.

Where every day will return us
To arms of the ever eternal

And beside the two figures kneeling in the garden of flowers, forgotten, lay the firefly grass, the water on its leaves glistening in the moonlight as the petals glowed like that of the firefly's wings.

Glowing...as if it had managed to send a message.

FIN

A/N:...Cough! Even though I said that Ed would be kinda sentimental, he still got angsty all the same, not to mention on Winry's behalf. Bleah. I'm so sorry for that. I'm such a Drama Queen...please R and R. Please, at least um...5 reviews for this chappie. Now that I'm off-school(for the moment), I could get busy with this stuff. :) That's right, it ain't over yet, folks. Guys seriously, don't hold back on your opinions. I'll be happy knowing you liked this one.

Lyrics are borrowed from the song "The Garden of Everything" by Steve Conte feat. Maaya Sakamoto.

But as for the opening lyrics I use for every chapter, I won't say just yet. You'd be surprised. XP