Part 2: Loss

I don't remember ever running so fast in my life. I was in pain from straining my legs so much from running, but I didn't notice. I felt numb. 'How could this be happening, this must be a dream. Just a bad dream.' I knew, deep down, that it wasn't though.

The young man from the village had told me that incident happened where the village met the forest. From there it wasn't that hard to find. A large crowd had gathered around the area.

"Get out of my way!" I said shoving people aside. The parted sympathetically when they saw who it was pushing them.

What I saw next will forever be etched into my mind till the day I die. Hoenhiem was there holding Elizabeth in his arms rocking her back and forth, trying to comfort her. Elizabeth's bright pink dress was splattered with blood. Her blood. Not far from where they were was a still figure. Some sort of animal. Hoenhiem looked up at me as I approached him with a sad look on his face.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly. "A wolf just jumped out at her. I think the beast had rabies and went insane with pain. I … don't know what to say, I feel to blame for what happened … Daniel?"

I said nothing. What was there to say? I slowly bent down to be next to Elizabeth. Her face was so pale from blood loss. I picked her up gingerly from Hoenhiem and held her close to me. I didn't care that I was getting blood on my shirt. To my surprise, she started to stir.

"Elizabeth?" I said hopefully. She looked up at me and smiled sweetly.

"Brother you're here, I'm glad." She said softly. She was struggling so much just talk. I knew she didn't have much longer to live, but I didn't want to accept it. "Do you know what?"

I started to choke back tears, I knew what was coming. "What?"

She flinched and coughed up a bit of blood. She didn't go though; she wouldn't go until she said what she wanted to say. She's so strong for her age, my little sis.

"…I-I'm crazy, for you…" She looked up at me and smiled again. I couldn't hold the tears back anymore and they were streaming down my face.

"I'm crazy for you too Elizabeth … Elizabeth?" her eyes dulled and glazed over and her head fell to her side. "Elizabeth! No, don't go, not yet … please. You can't die." I pulled her close to me and started to sob.

Hoenhiem stood up and put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, she's gone. I should have been taking better care of her…"

I didn't hear a word he said. So many things were rushing through my mind. "If only I had been there, if only I had come I could have saved her! I …" I paused, my mind clearing of the grief at the mere thought of it. "I can still save her. I can bring her back. I --"

"NO!" Hoenhiem shouted. "You told me before, didn't you! That you wouldn't do human transmutation. You didn't on parents, why now!"

"…because they died of old age, it was there time." Fresh tears started pouring out of my eyes. "Elizabeth was just a child, how could it have been her time?...well!" He didn't answer.

The crowd, which I hadn't noticed the whole time, started murmuring and gossiping about the incident. They slowly started thinning out. They would be sad for a while, but life would go on for them and eventually forget about it. There would be no forgetting for me though, and life wouldn't go on.

I came to visit Elizabeth's grave often. Ever since she died, I hadn't seen Hoenhiem at all. He was probably feeling guilty for what happened. I was a wreck. I had bags under my eyes from lack of sleep. I had been researching constantly methods of human transmutation. Apparently Hoenhiem had been looking into it as well as I found some notes and equations on it. Damned hypocrite. I sat down in front of her grave and started crying softly. Every time I saw her grave, the tears would just come rushing back again. I almost completely broke down when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I wiped my eyes and turned my head around. There was a women standing there who I didn't recognize.

"You poor man. I have heard about your loss. She was precious to you was she not?" the woman crouched down beside me and wiped a stray tear from my cheek. Despite her kind gesture, her words stung me.

"Who are you? What do you want and how do you know me?"

"We have never met but I've heard a lot about you. You are an alchemist are you not? Hoenhiem's disciple? He told me about you, as to what I want, I only came to comfort you in your time of need. Is that so bad?" she said in a sweet voice. I wasn't sure, but I thought I detected a hint of sarcasm there too.

"And your name?"

"My name? My name is Dante." She looked down on me and flashed a smile.

End of the second one. Hope you liked it okay. Remember to R&R.