Never Coming Home

Ed reflects on the fist person he lost to this GOD forsaken war. It's not his mom.

Takes place in that part of 'A Rotted Heart' when Ed goes to get the remains of his mom.

He sees an old grave that brings back memories of an old friend.

Ed walked through the cemetery. He stopped when he reached the grave of a 9 year old girl. Shiori . . . The echo of children's laughter reached Ed's ears.

He looked at the name on the grave. Shiori Anda. He could still picture her in his mind. Long black hair, always held in a high ponytail with a black ribbon. Skin as pale as the moon, she looked almost transparent in the black play dress she always wore. And the most beautiful emerald green eyes Ed had ever seen. But the thing Ed remembered most was her ever present smile. It could brighten the darkest of places.

Shiori had been Ed's best friend she could always make him smile.

Flash back

Shiori spun around flailing her arms and going wild. Ed laughed. "You are really crazy sometimes." he said. Shiori stopped spinning "But you love me anyways, right?" "You have no idea." Shiori looked puzzled and plopped down rather ungracefully next to her best friend. "Ed promise me that no matter what you'll live your life to the fullest and don't look back?"

Now it was Ed's turn to look puzzled. "I promise Shiori. I promise."

End

Ed grimaced at the next memory

Flash back

Shiori was lying in her bed. She was pale and sweaty. She was coughing horribly. Her once lively green eyes now dull and listless. She had been like this for weeks. Ed was sitting on her bed, his mother right behind him. Al and Whinry were standing at the foot of the bed. Trisha Elric took Shiori's hand. "Don't worry honey. Everything will turn out alright." "Hai. I have a feeling that everything will be okay." Shiori wheezed. "Could I please talk to Ed alone?" "Of course sweetie. Al, Whinry." "Bye Shiori." "Bye-bye Shiori-chan"

The three of them left the room. "Remember your promise. Never look back Ed. Never look back." "Don't worry I won't." She started coughing horribly. "Shiori!" Ed cried. "Good bye Ed." The girl wheezed. Tears fell from Ed's eyes. Trisha walked into the room and held her son. "It's no use Ed. She's never coming home.

End flashback.


Ed looked to the sky.

"Shiori . . . we may have been kids . . . but I loved you . . . I still do