Chapter Twelve
Smoke slowly thinned as the transmutation completed itself. The disappearance of the lights from the circle had left the forest dark. Edward opened his eyes, his mind hazy and his vision blurred. He slowly lifted himself into a sitting position, rubbing his head as his memory and vision returned to him.
"What happened..?" He groaned. Looking at his surroundings, he saw a figure lying on the ground. "Ruby?" He crawled on his hands and knees over to the figure, which lay a few feet away. He looked in fear at the unmoving body before him. "Ruby! What happened? What... What did you do?" He put his hands on her shoulders and shook her. "Wake up!" Tears began to flow, running down his cheeks to Ruby's limp, unmoving body.
"You can't wake her anymore." Ed turned around to see Envy standing behind him. Confused, he took a closer look at where he had previously been laying. A transmutation circle?
"What happened?" Ed asked. "I remember the Gate, and I felt myself being pulled back, and woke up here..."
Envy sighed. "I thought you would've had it figured out right away. Ruby brought you back. I didn't think it would work at first, seeing how she didn't know what the hell she was doing to start with, but I guess it did."
"Ruby..? She's. . . Dead," Kneeling over her body, Ed brushed Ruby's hair from her face with his left hand. He felt her body was cool, and after his eyes had adjusted to the dark, noticed she was pale and lifeless.
"I wanted to make sure you were really alive before I left. Sort of a favor to her," Envy gestured to Ruby's body. "But now I've got to go back. My master will need me." With that, Envy left, leaving Edward still clutching Ruby's shoulder in his right hand. He nestled his head next to hers. Though he wasn't sure how long he stayed there, Ed knew he had been there long. He stood up, unsteadily at first, and picked up Ruby's body.
As he slowly walked back to the house where Winry and Al would be waiting for Ruby, Edward began to reflect on Ruby's short life, softly singing his thoughts out loud: "A child so young, so sweet; an early fate she must meet; to someday know the meaning of love; to send her soul up above; her fate she knew was clear; until the day was here; with no hesitation she gave; to bring me back from the grave." He seemed to walk aimlessly toward the house, his mind repeating the rhyme over again until he reached the house. Winry stepped out, followed by Pinako and Alphonse.
"Edward!" She cried, running out to meet him. "Ed, Ruby brought you back, she-"
"An early fate she must meet; to someday know the meaning of love; to send her soul up above.." Ed chanted back. Winry seemed confused, then looked down to Ruby's body. Ed seemed to just notice she was there. "Winry, Ruby is dead. She traded her soul for mine." Winry looked down.
"I know, Ed." She began to cry. Ed noticed this and began to cry again.
Al approached him with a look of astonishment. "Are you alright, brother?" He asked quietly. Ed didn't respond; instead, he began walking forward again, still singing his rhyme.
"A child so young, so sweet; an early fate she must meet; to someday know the meaning of love; to send her soul up above; her fate she knew was clear; until the day was here; with no hesitation she gave; to bring me back from the grave."