Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except for Aliyah and Lyssa.
Aliyah's POV
"That was so exhausting! They were watching us the whole time, too.." Ed jumbles out as he stretches.
"Being spied on can do that." Al says cheerfully, Ed nods.
"Hey! Where's the young master!? " Fu asks appearing out of nowhere; we all look around and shake our heads.
"Beats me, we haven't seen him." Ed mutters in annoyance, both Lan Fan and Fu slink down in embarrassment.
"I can't take my eyes off him for a second..." Fu huffs.
"Good riddance..." Ed sighs. "Let's go."
"Coming..." Al, Lyssa, Winry and I come running behind us, we begin walking towards the central military offices.
"We better check in with the military offices first." Ed says bored, Al nods.
"I think I'll go straight to the Hughes's, I can't wait to see little Elicia and Miss Gracia." Winry smiles, I bite my lip to keep from saying anything.
"Mmk, we'll be there real soon anyway." Ed smiles, Winry smiles and runs off.
"We should really go see the Lieutenant Colonel; we have a lot to tell him." Al says quietly, Ed nods.
"We have to tell him about the homunculus." Ed trails off; I taste the blood from biting my lip to hard. I have half-crescent marks in the palm of my hand from how tightly my fists were curled up.
Chapter 16: Footsteps of a Comrade-in-arms
"I think his office is this way! Come on Al, Lyssa, Aliyah!" Ed smiles at me, I let them run ahead of me as I walk behind them. I watch as they run straight pass the phone booth but I freeze in front of it.
"Aliyah?" Al asks softly looking at me, I just stare at the phone booth. As I walk towards it, I can feel the dread filling my body, and my hand stops on the handle.
"What's wrong?" Ed whispers into my ear behind me, I blink back my tears and turn around shutting the door.
"Let's just go..."
"But Aliyah." Ed says softly.
"Just go." I snap walking away; Ed looks a little taken a back but walks beside me.
When we get inside I see Hawkeye right away, and so does Ed.
"Wait a minute if Hawkeye is here that means the..." Then Colonel Mustang appears.
"Thanks for waiting..." He grumbles then sees Ed. "Hello there Fullmetal." Ed looks extremely annoyed.
"Colonel Mustang... What are you doing here?" He grumbles.
"Didn't you hear? I was transferred to central a while ago." The Colonel smiles, and Ed fights back making a snide comment.
"Ohh great..." Al smiles at Ed.
"We're here to see the Colonel; I was transferred to Central effective last month.." He chirps, and I see the Lieutenant's eyes soften in sadness.
"He's not here; He retired to the country and took his wife and daughter with him to take over the family business.; so he's not here." Mustang says strongly.
As we all were told with discouraged looks. "Bummer, I was hoping to see him." I said.
As the colonel turned around and stopped, "Fullmetal and Blue Flame..." as we looked at him with confusion. "Watch yourselves. don't do anything crazy..." as he said then walked away.
"I can't believe Hughes is actually gone." Ed said. "Yeah." I said afterward.
"Brother, what about Winry?" Al asks quietly, Ed shut his eyes tight.
As Edward turned around and ran towards Lt.Ross.
"I haven't seen you three here in a while... You're in a hurry. Why the rush?" She asked.
"We just heard about Lt. Colonel Hughes." Ed said. as Lt. Ross had a sad look on her face.
"Yeah... it's rough news, huh?"
"There was still so much that we wanted to tell him about." Lyssa said.
"We would have liked to say goodbye." Al said.
"We weren't able to reach you. Don't worry though... The military gave him a proper send-off."
"Wow, that was nice."
"That's how it's done. Also...if you boys haven't heard already... I'm sure you three be glad to know... he was promoted... two whole ranks.'
"Up to Brigadier General?" Lyssa said.
"He retired to the country and they promoted him?" I said.
As Lt. Ross turned into a shocked expression and looked at us while covering her mouth.
As Ed looked with a confused and distraught look, "Lt. Ross?"
No one's POV
"Fullmetal Alchemist."
"Fullmetal Alchemist."
As the scene shows Winry buying Apples.
"And here you are miss."
"Thank you." As Winry take the basket of apples.
Then the scene turn to back to Ed and the others.
"No! Not the Lt. Colonel! Why him?!" As Ed had a scared expression looking at Lt.Ross.
As Ed run outside, "Edward!" Aliyah yelled out to him as they followed behind him.
" Brigadier General Hughes is dead... he was murdered shortly after you two were discharged from the hospital, Edward and Aliyah... I'm afraid we still haven't found the person responsible."
Aliyah's POV:
As we chase right after Ed and catch up towards him.
"Ed..." I said to him as his face was sad and he fell onto the ground and I walked towards him and hugged him.
The Hughes's and when we get their time seems to stop.
"What do we do?" Al asked.
"We tell it like it is. You go on back... I'm the only one who has to take the blame for what happened."Ed said.
"Ed... It's not just your problem is ours as well."
"Yeah if you like it or not, we're going with you." Lyssa and Alphonse said together.
"We said we made up our minds to get our bodies back, no matter what. But if people are going to die because of that... then I don't want mine is back." Al said.
As we went to the Hughes' house and Miss Gracia opened the door and give us a smile.
"Winry is already here."
As we walked in and saw Winry holding Elicia.
"Winry." Ed called out as she looked up at us.
"Miss Gracia, I need to tell you something. You too Winry." Ed says quietly.
"Is this about my husband?"
"Yea..." Ed trails off; he sits down and begins his story.
"My husband died trying to help you boys?" Gracia asks more to herself, Ed drops his head.
"Yes, I dragged him into this... I'm so sorry." He clenches his fists. "I'm so sorry... I'm..." Ed's voice crackles in pain.
"It's just like him, to die trying to help someone else." She smiles, it catches Ed attention.
"My husband. He always was a busybody and a meddler, and it got him into trouble. A lot. But you know...I don't think he ever had regrets. No any...not even in his dying moments, Edward." Gracia said as she was holding Elicia who was sleeping.
"But we..."
"Don't tell me you're going to give up." As Ed looked up at her. "You can't let what happened defeat you... if you do, then that mean my husband die in vain." As she smiled.
"Even if the philosopher's stone is a dead end... there must be some other way."
"Maybe, I guess." Ed said.
"You guys have ti keep moving forward...anyway you can."
" I am pretty sure that he love the both of you very much and we wish that you had a come to sway but can't change things do in this day and age." I said.
"Thank you so much." She whispers and smiles a tiny smile. I nod and head towards the door with everyone trailing behind me. When Ed shuts the door, he looks at all of us with a smile; but then I hear it.
"Please don't cry mommy." I can see Ed breaking beside me, the words of little Elicia crashing a blow to me. Ed's head turns towards me, I can see the fire in his eyes.
No one's POV:
As they all walked to a hotel to rest. and Winry gave Al and Lyssa a sad smile. And walk into her selected room. And they walked into their room and sat on the couches. As Ed and Aliyah are eating a meal at a hotel restaurant. Later Edward knocks on Winry's hotel room. "Winry... you in there?" Aliyah said.
As Winry opened the door. "You haven't eaten yet have you? You might want to hurry the dining room is closing soon." As she nodded. Aliyah give her a sad smile. " OK we were going to go to our room." Then she grabs Aliyah's hand. " apple pie?" Ed said. " that's right. I practice making it a few times. I know it might...sound like... I'm bragging... but I've gotten good at it. I'm not nearly as good as Miss Gracia, but someday..." As she cried, "I've hope... that Mr.Hughes... would get to try some too!" As she continued to cry.
Then Lt. Ross was accused of murdering brigadier general Hughes, when she don't but they don't know that.
