Full Metal Alchemist Fan Fiction

Strength

By Kraven Ergeist

A/N: Well, I just watched the whole series again and came to a frightening realization: At the end of the series, Al comes back -- as a ten-year-old. A mere three years passes between the series and my fic, making Al thirteen – nowhere near eligible material for Winry.

Whoops.

So, as an adjustment, make Al fifteen when he emerges at the end of the series, making him eighteen in this fic. This incidentally makes Ed nineteen. Hawkeye, I believe, was somewhere around twenty-four or twenty-five, so she's closer to thirty in this fic.

Let's hope Ed likes older women.

xxxxx

Chapter Two

It was cold the next morning, as Ed emerged from his room after scrounging up his light blue tee shirt and shorts from his previous visits, which fit to some extent. Riza was already in the kitchen, helping Winry and Pinako whip together something for breakfast.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, clenching his two good fists, Ed prodded the motionless sleeping bag clad Alphonse on the floor of the living room with his foot.

"Hey, wake up," he urged.

Al swatted the annoyance away. "Winry, let me sleep in…"

Ed fought back a groan. "I'm not Winry, Al. Get up!"

Ed poked Al hard in the side with his foot, causing him to jolt up, flailing his arms around, recklessly. "Wha? What was that for?"

Ed pouted. "It's almost noon. Sensei would have your head."

Al rubbed his eyes. "She's not my Sensei anymore, Niisan. And you slept in too!"

Ed's eyebrow twitched. "That's beside the point! Now get up before I transmute you into a suit of armor out of spite!"

Al groaned and crawled out of the sleeping bag. Winry's had already been neatly folded.

Ed yawned as he and Al sat down at the table, just in time for Pinako to place a tray of food in front of the boys.

"Eat up now, Ed," Pinako instructed. "I don't care if you felt like starving yourself across that gate, you'll be eating healthy as long as I have a say in it."

Ed muttered his unintelligible thanks, as Winry sat next to Al, kissing him on the forehead. "Good morning, honey. Sleep well?"

Al laughed. "Next to you, who wouldn't?"

Winry blushed, throwing Ed a troubled glance.

Ed didn't bother acknowledging the happy couple. He'd made his sacrifice. He wasn't going to linger on it.

Riza sat across from him. When Ed looked up at her, she quickly returned her focus to the plate in front of her. Ed smiled. It was understandable for her to be embarrassed, he supposed, after the exchange that had gone on last night.

With his brother and childhood friend preoccupied with each other, Ed was hard pressed for a bit of genuine companionship. He wasn't sure how he felt about Riza, but at the moment, anything would have been better than the alternative, as Ed glared hard at the black haired boy who meandered into the kitchen.

Biting back a whimper, Wrath sat at the table, quietly eating his breakfast.

"Wrath, would you mind bringing home some firewood today?" Pinako commented, unaware of any tension. "The big pile outside is all used up."

"Okay, Aunt Pinako," Wrath muttered, glad to be able to spend the day away from the accusatory stare of eldest Elric. Polishing off his breakfast, Wrath stepped outside to go to work.

"Ed," Winry piped, staring hard at the boy. "You go with him."

The door Wrath had used to exit flew open again and his head stuck into the door to yell in time with Edward.

"WHAT?"

"You heard me," Winry squawked, holding an axe for him to use. "You two need to spend a little time together. Wrath is part of this family now, and that's not about to change. That's something you're just going to have to accept."

Ed gawked at the blonde. "Winry, you can't be serious! Do you really want me and that kid alone together with an axe?"

"I agree with Winry, Edward," he heard Riza say, looking up from her meal. "A little quality time would be good for you two. Lord knows, it would make the rest of us a little more at ease."

Ed gawked. "Lieutenant, not you too!"

Riza smiled, winking. "Yes, me too. And it's Riza, Edward. No need for formalities here."

Ed practically snarled. "Appreciate the comfort, but there's no way I'm spending the day with that-"

Winry shoved the long axe into his hands. "You are, and that's final!"

Ed sighed, dejectedly. "Alright, alright, fine! If you find my bloody corpse out in the forest, bury me next to my mother."

Everyone looked at him worriedly as he marched out the door.

"Winry," Al asked, concerned. "Are you sure that was a good idea?"

Winry huffed, sitting down to eat. "Only one way for them to get along, Al."

Al winced. "But still…there's nothing to stop them from killing each other."

Winry sighed. "I know. But Wrath is a big kid now. He'll survive."

Riza nodded. "Ed will too. He's a lot stronger than anyone knows."

Winry threw Riza a mischievous glance. "Speaking of which…you spent the night in the same room with him. He didn't try anything, did he?"

Riza gaped. "Wh-what? No! Absolutely not! I'm surprised you would even think that!"

Winry smirked. "I didn't. I just wanted to see your reaction."

Al just sighed. "Oh, Winry…"

xxxxx

Annoyed and uncomfortable, the two sworn enemies marched in tandem towards the woods. Wrath carried a large skid for carrying the wood by two rope pulleys, which bumped and clacked against the rocky terrain.

"Um…Ed?" came a small voice.

Ed turned to see Wrath looking at him.

"Ed…I'm sorry," Wrath spoke. "I'm sorry for everything. I'm a monster, Ed, and nothing's going to change that. But these people…these people took me in. They treated me like family. The only reason I ever…sided with the other homunculi before was because they took me in as well. But I've learned since then that just because someone treats you kindly, it doesn't mean they mean it. But I still…I still…"

Ed sighed. "Save it. I don't trust you yet, but you've made your point. Let's just try to get through the day and we'll see how it goes."

Wrath nodded, neither satisfied nor content.

Ed stopped where he saw a line of trees that had been cut months before. Saplings were dense in the area with the additional space. One couldn't chop down large sections of the forest at a time, it had to be dispersed evenly, otherwise the forest would wither away. Instead, you have to chop down every third tree or so, so that the forest would replenish itself. And saplings had to be planted for every tree taken.

Equivalent exchange.

Finding a tall oak whose presence would not be too sorely missed, Ed began to chop.

"So, how's the auto-mail working out for you?"

Wrath smiled, holding up his right arm. "I can't transmute anymore, but Winry did add something to make it more useful."

Then, like a Swiss army knife, a hatchet like blade slid out the side of the auto-mail, replacing his hand on his wrist.

Ed whistled in appreciation. "If I ever had something like that, it would have saved me a lot of trouble."

Wrath just smiled, sheepishly.

The tree finally fell, and Wrath made quick work of shortening the trunk into logs, filling the skid with firewood.

"About three more trees should do it," Wrath commented.

Ed wiped his brow. "It's been a while since I've been put to work like this. You think Winry would kill me if I used alchemy to break down the wood into chunks?"

Wrath grinned. "I won't tell if you won't."

Ed nodded and clapped his hands, sending a brief invisible surge of electricity coursing through his fingertips. His hands met wood, and the alchemic energy flowed from within the gate inside himself and coursed through the tree, splitting the wood cleanly into neat, even logs.

Wrath watched in awe. "Wow…it's been a while since I've seen it done."

Ed nodded. "I'm just glad I still know how to do it. Al still does alchemy, right? You must have seen him perform it."

Wrath nodded. "Yeah, but he's been busy in the new Ishbal encampment. The day before yesterday was the first I've seen of him in a while."

Ed nodded, loading up the skid with his newly made logs. "What else did Winry put in that arm of yours?"

Wrath smiled. He'd called it "his." "I'll show you…"

Ed gawked as a machete, a saw, a pick, and an adjustable wrench flipped out of the auto-mail arm, Swiss army knife style. On top of that, a hammer and a motorized ratchet and screwdriver were stored in the shin plate in his leg.

"Last year, there was this big storm that wrecked half the house," Wrath said. "Da…Sig and I did most of the repairs."

Ed nodded. "You've really been helping out while I've been gone haven't you?"

Wrath frowned, nodding. "Yeah. I have a large debt to repay. I have to devote my life to bettering the lives of these people for my name to be cleared."

Ed nodded. "Equivalent exchange, huh?"

Wrath frowned.

Clapping his hands for another transmutation, Ed felled another tree.

"You're alright, Wrath."

Wrath smiled. "I…what?"

Ed shrugged. "Shoot, if Winry trusts you enough to let you sleep under the same roof with that much hardware literally at your fingertips, then what do I have to be worried about?"

Wrath could only smile. "…Thanks!"

xxxxx

Winry peered off in the distance as Ed and Wrath returned home carrying their burden. She smiled as she saw that they were each pulling one of the two ropes. Before, Ed had let Wrath pull the sled by himself, but the fact that he was helping out with such a corny smile on his face was hard to mistake.

"Good call, Winry," Riza smiled, stepping up next to her, seeing what she saw.

Winry chuckled. "What'd I tell you? They'll get along eventually."

Riza sighed. "Winry…you've known Ed all your life. At Central, he never revealed much about himself. What's he really like?"

Winry smirked. "Interested?"

"What do you mean?" Riza stammered.

Winry smiled. "Oh, come on. With me and Al all set, he's free for the taking."

Riza blushed. "Wha…what are you implying?"

Winry could only laugh. "It sure doesn't take much to get under your skin, does it, Lieutenant?"

Riza scoffed. "Knock it off. And it's just Riza."

Winry nodded. "Okay, then Riza. Well, to be honest, both he and his brother have been secretive since their mother died. They've done almost nothing but study alchemy for five years, and when Al came back without any memory, he's studied alchemy ever since. I guess all that devotion turned them into such recluses…and after the incident with human transmutation…"

Riza patted Winry on the shoulder seeing her eyes clench. "It's enough to make anyone close up. I understand. The Colonel…Roy…was the same way. Years of study…followed by a life-changing incident…"

Winry pursed her lips. "What life changing incident was he involved in? Or is it too personal?"

Riza sighed. "I…I think that you're quite familiar with the incident. It scarred him enough almost perform human alchemy to get back the two lives he took."

Winry blanched. "Two… No…it can't be…"

Riza nodded, a forlorn expression on her face. "The death of your parents hit him harder than you might expect. He almost shot himself in the head afterwards."

Winry winced. "Why? Why can't I hate him for it? Why is it that every time I hear about it, it sounds like he was the victim?"

Riza shook her head. "In a way, all soldiers are the victims in the military. We have no choice but to follow the orders we're given, no matter how inhumane they are."

Winry sighed. "I understand that now. I still haven't forgiven him, but I just…can't be angry at someone who didn't have a choice."

Riza nodded, forcing back a tear. "…You don't…have to worry about it… He's dead."

Winry gasped. "What? He…he's dead? Wh…what happened?"

Riza shook her head, eyes clenching. "There was an insurgence…North city…a rogue alchemist…he didn't…I couldn't…I…please excuse me!"

Winry watched as Riza suddenly take off down the path opposite Ed and Wrath. Still dumbfounded, Winry didn't know what to do. She didn't even notice the two boys finally arrive and deposit their day's work.

"All done!" Wrath announced, proudly.

"Hey…was that Riza that just ran off?" Ed queried, as he started to unload the skid.

Winry looked away from her departing figure. "Um…yeah, uh…she just told me about Ro…I mean, the Colonel…"

Ed winced. "Man. Guess I should go after her then, huh?"

Winry blinked. "Well, I mean, if she's that upset, then…"

Ed didn't wait for her to finish before taking off. "Wrath, can you finish unloading?"

Wrath nodded as he and Winry watched Ed run off after the other blonde.

xxxxx

Ed found Riza eventually. She was sitting by the riverside, much like his brother always used to do. It made him smile, the way these things worked out.

"Hey," he muttered, sitting down next to her.

Riza didn't reply. She was sitting up straight, but her eyes were clearly red.

"So…" Ed sighed, making small conversation. "What are your plans for me, now that the 'Full Metal Alchemist' is back in town? I guess the military's gonna want me back, huh?"

Riza still didn't reply.

"Alright then," Ed harrumphed. "What are your plans, now that your superior's resting in his grave?"

Riza finally reacted, throwing Ed a dirty look. "You've never liked the Colonel, have you?"

Ed shook his head. "I never said that. He may have gotten on my nerves at times, but he understood where it counted. We both saw eye to eye in our understanding of matters pertaining to alchemy. I may not have realized it at first, but his protection may be the reason I'm still alive today."

Riza frowned, looking away. "At least one of us has grown up."

Ed shook his head. "You're allowed to feel bad when someone you care for dies. Hell, the first time it happened to me, I tried to perform human alchemy."

Riza sighed. "That's not exactly an option for me. If it was, I'm not so sure I wouldn't do it."

Ed nodded. "I understand that perfectly, Riza. The desire to bring someone back to life represents an inability to let that person go. It took an arm, a leg, and a body for me and Al to finally realize that, and even then, we had difficulties letting our mother go." Ed offered a comforting touch on her shoulder. "All you can do right now is bear with the grief and hope that those around you will help you through it. For what it's worth, I'm willing to offer a shoulder to cry on now and then."

For the first time since coming there, Riza really and truly smiled at him.

"Thank you…Edward…"

Ed gave one of his trademark smiles in return.

"Call me Ed."

xxxxx

Dinner that night was much less awkward. Ed was more talkative at least. Al and Winry were chuckling as Ed related some of the crazy stories from the other side of the gate.

"They also have these flying machines called 'airplanes,' and 'dirigibles,'" Ed recounted. "Airplanes use wings to attain lift, which is basically a concept that involves higher air pressure beneath the wings. Dirigibles, on the other hand, are like hot-air balloons with propellers and filled with hydrogen."

Winry was awestruck by the technology of the other world. Wrath just thought he was making things up. Al, on the other hand, had to be convinced to not attempt to see it for himself.

Sig and Pinako listened intently as Ed related his findings to the table.

"Ed seems to be getting along a bit better with that boy," Pinako muttered. She rarely called him by name. Just "that boy."

The big man just hummed in agreement.

"So, Riza," Winry commented, when Ed was finished regaling the people at the table. "When do you have to go back to Central? Not too soon, I hope."

Riza shook her head. "If I'm to make a convincing ploy, a few more days, maybe half a week should do it. The military will most likely send another man out here a year from now to retrace footsteps, so be ready for it. I'll try my best to be that person next year, but I very well could miss out."

Al smiled. "We really appreciate your discretion, Lieutenant."

Riza shook her head. "Think nothing of it, Alphonse. I for one have no desire to put you through all that. And how many times must I insist on you all calling me Riza? I haven't been in uniform since yesterday."

Al smiled. "Right, right."

Ed threw her a meaningful look. "Are you sure we're really out of the woods, Riza? I mean, the military's not known for just letting its people go."

Riza smiled. "You just leave that to me, Ed. Since when did you ever worry about the military so much?"

Ed shrugged. "I'm just not comfortable with you sticking your neck out for my sake. You're placing yourself at risk by keeping quiet about me."

Riza nodded. "I fully understand that, Ed. And I'm perfectly willing to accept the consequences should things go wrong."

Ed smiled, weakly. "Well…thank you, then."

Riza smiled warmly back. "My pleasure."

xxxxx

That night, Riza awoke again to the same nightmares. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she sat up, placing a hand on her head. How long would these dreams plague her? She had done her job to the fullest extent possible. Roy…the Colonel went off on his own, and she had been powerless to stop him.

Not wishing to venture back into that land of retched memories, she glanced over at Edwards's bed.

It was empty.

Riza frowned. She wanted…needed to be with someone right now. Ed had promised to be a shoulder to cry on, and she needed one right then.

A cool breeze blew through the open window and Riza released a breath she hadn't known she was holding.

The window. It hadn't been open when she'd gone to sleep.

Riza leaned through the window and peered skyward, seeing a drainpipe that was just perfect for climbing. Playing on a hunch, Riza tugged her pajama top snugly to defend against the night chill, clambered out the window and began to scale the drainpipe. Had she been fully awake, it would have been easier, but she made it to the top, and sure enough, found Edward, lying there, staring at the stars.

He hadn't noticed her somehow. She'd made plenty of noise getting up there. He must be wrapped up in his thoughts to deeply that he hadn't heard. Regardless, Riza slowly approached him, swaying on the slanted rooftops, teeth chattering.

It was only until she was seated next to him and laying her head on his shoulder did he realize she was there.

"R…Riza?" Ed muttered, suddenly snapped out of his reverie.

"I…I'm sorry, Ed," Riza sighed. "I…had another nightmare."

Ed blinked, before nodding, slowly wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Alright, Riza. It's alright."

She sighed, eyes shutting closed as she snuggled up against him. Both of her arms slowly encircled him, hugging him close to her, and Ed stiffened, suddenly becoming violently aware of the lithe frame he found clutching his body tightly.

"R…Riza…" Ed stammered, feeling his heart pounding faster.

She sighed, nuzzling his shoulder. "Can I…stay like this for a while? It's cold…"

Ed sat, unsure of himself, as the woman he had known as the most loyal and dangerous soldier in the military continued to snuggle against his warm body, clutching him possessively, like a child lost and alone.

He smiled. Even someone like her should be allowed to be weak when things seemed blackest. He himself had displayed his weakness on numerous occasions, several times in this woman's company. It was time to return the favor.

Equivalent exchange.

"Alright, Riza," he muttered, squeezing her shoulder tightly. "Sleep well."

The beautiful girl on his arm just sighed.

xxxxx

A/N: Well, I sure took my sweet time, but I finally punched out another chapter. I like where the story is going – how two people, suddenly torn from those they were sure to be with forever suddenly find themselves in need of each other. I'm also quite proud of the pace I'm taking. Most of my fics end up pushing into the romance far too quickly, but here I am, two chapters in, and we're only at hugs. Some of you might say this is not a good thing, but trust me, it is. Anticipation is key.

Anyway, read and review.