The Cycle of Pain and Hope

By Teenangel

Summary: a different ending to FMA, from Alphonse getting his body back to far into the future. Mostly following the life of Ed's daughter. Not what you expect at all! Blood, violence. Future fic. edxwinry alxelysia. spoilers.

Author's note: some things may not be accurate to the anime, bear with me. And I swear this story has a happy ending!

Disclaimer: Got bored the day after finals, college student, so broke, wouldn't even bother.

Alan Elric, now thirty-nine, stood in the cemetery making flower wreaths. When he reached Allison Elric's stone, he made one of roses instead of daisies. He paused staring at it, remembering the funeral years ago, and the sea of people that came to pay respects.

Allison Trisha Elric

1926-2024

Furher of the People

"There is always hope"

The sun was shining at the Elric home in Risembool, a sign on the front that read, "Alchemy and Automail Workshop" owned by Alan and Jessica Elric. 'A quaint place for the former Furher's grandson to make a family, and a quaint home for such a well respected State Alchemist,' the towns people would say, 'such a humble family.'

"I am better then you," said Edward Elric, Alan's son, "see, mine came out better."

Alan's youngest, Alphonse frowned at his crooked horse, "So, mine is is—"

"Ugly?"

Little Al's brown eyes began to swell, "You're mean."

"Sorry," Ed said, hoping his little brother wouldn't run off to their mother; he'd already got in trouble this morning for transmuting one of her pots. "I'll teach you how to make a better one."

Al sniffed "Okay." They sat down under an oak tree with their father's books and began to get to work. Al propped Intro to Alchemy on his legs. "Brother, does this every seem familiar to you, like you've learned it before?"

"Actually," Ed flipped through a couple books, "yeah it does. Strange huh."

"Yes, you think bigger brother experiences the same thing when he reads books?"

Ed frowned, "Bigger Brother doesn't do alchemy, because he's—"

A shadow fell over them, 'Bigger Brother' glared at Edward, flipping his long curly hair over his shoulder, "Because I'm a what? I'm waiting you little metal headed pipsqueak."

"Because, because," Ed dropped his book and tapped his brother on the shoulder, "Your it," he said and bolted down the hill, followed closely by Al. The oldest Elric stood their dumbfounded.

"Come on, William," they shouted.

He smiled and stretched his legs, "Ready or not you midgets, I'm coming to get you."

Alan came home to see his three sons lying on the grass, breathing heavily, and laughing their sides sore. He went inside and turned on the TV: Furher Maes Mustang has convinced Parliament to acknowledge the Ishbalan people as a separate autonomous nation...

Dear Journal,

My father told me his story and the stories within his story, he told me the vicious cycle of mistakes, misery, and pain the human race repeats indefinitely. Always the same players, the same events, the same tragic ending. But I don't agree with him. There is always hope that we can learn from the past, we can see the warning signs before we cross the lines, we can keep our promises.

And maybe life does repeat, and everything will happen again, but for one turn of the cycle I think that everything is going to be okay.

Ali