Fullmetal & Shield
A second chance. An opportunity to make a difference. Some things will change but some things are simply meant to be.
AN. I should probably point out that I am a very new FMA fan. I watched the entirety of FMA and Brotherhood over the course of about three weeks. Enjoyed both immensely, though when I started watching Brotherhood I found myself wondering why they made all the changes in the first anime to begin with. Anyway, I haven't really broken far into the FMA fanfiction community. I'm finding myself having to sort through a lot of non-cannon parings which tend to drive me crazy. Needless to say, I don't really know which themes have or have not been done before. Of course, the "second chance" theme is seen in a lot a fandoms and I certainly don't want to just start reiterating the original plot. That's why I'm writing it in disconnected scenes. I'll probably skip a lot of the in between stuff. I won't be copying anything directly from cannon. I hope to keep my ideas here as original as possible.
Disclaimer: Ed, Al, and all their friends are the property of Funimation. I do not own them, but am grateful for the opportunity to use them in the unleashing of my own imagination.
Rating: This story is rated T for violence and injury. Language is very mild.
Chapter 2: Gains and Losses
"Hey guys, thanks for coming out to help me with this. I'd never be able to carry everything back on my own." Winry smiled and stretched her arms while looking around the train platform.
"It's no problem, Winry." Al replied. "It's nice to get out and about for a change, right Brother?"
"Mmhmm." Ed smiled. It was good to be out in the sun with his brother and their best friend – no wars, no homunculi, no power hungry monsters – just three kids who had all the time in the world to be kids… and run errands for Granny Pinako, the old bat.
"Hey, do you think Granny Pinako will make stew for dinner?" He asked grinning.
"Maybe. But really guys, this is great! I can't believe you guys actually came out of your house to do something other than eat. Honestly, I've hardly seen you at all since you got back from Dublith. I figured that once you got done with your training we could actually spend some time together and do something fun. It's really boring around here without you."
Ed chuckled. "Ah, did you miss us Winry?" He didn't see the fist flying towards his head till it was too late and he was on the ground nursing a large bruise.
"Don't make fun! Of course I missed you. You're the only ones who live close enough to see on a daily basis. I'd have to walk to town every day to see any of my other friends."
"Oh, I get it. We're just convenient for you."
"That's not what I meant, you stupid jerk!"
"Dumb gearhead."
"Alchemy freak!
"Brother! Winry! Stop fighting! The train will be here soon."
"I missed you too, Winry." The taller girl started to say something else but whatever it was died on her lips as she processed his words. Ed just laughed. It felt good. Laughing felt good. Arguing with Winry felt good. Living felt good.
In the back of his mind, Ed knew he had a lot of work to do. He had a promise to keep after all. But Promised Day was five years away. And most of the events leading up to it wouldn't take place for another two at least. He had time – time to laugh, time to argue, time to live. He'd gained so much and he wasn't going to take a single moment for granted.
"Hey Winry, what are we picking up anyway?"Al asked.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah! Granny Pinako put in an order for some new automail parts! They're coming in today all the way from Rush Valley!" Winry squealed. "I can't wait till it gets here!"
Ed smiled. "Rush Valley, huh? Go figure."
Winry stopped jumping up and down long enough to tilt her head towards Ed in confusion. "What's so weird about that? All the best automail comes from Rush Valley! Oh, look! There's the train!"
Sure enough, a loud whistle announced the imminent arrival of the train from Rush Valley. Every head on the platform turned to the right to see a pinprick in the distance growing bigger by the second. Ed started to look too but something else caught his eye.
A little girl, probably four or five, was standing on the other end of the platform, too close to the edge. She seemed to be looking for something.
"Come on, Ed! Let's go wait by the delivery station!" Winry tugged on his arm and he turned away from the little girl to smile at his friend's antics.
"Alright, Winry. I'm coming." Winry dashed ahead with Alphonse and Ed shook his head. He started to follow but looked back one more time at the little girl. He gasped. The girl wasn't on the platform anymore. She'd climbed down onto the tracks. What's worse, nobody else in the crowd seemed to notice.
Ed didn't think. He ran. "Hey, kid! Get off the tracks!" His shouts caught the attention of several people but it would take them several more seconds to realize what was going on – seconds they didn't have. Edward barreled toward the end of the platform, knowing he couldn't do anything that would risk derailing the train, but determined to save the girl nonetheless. Without stopping, he clapped his hands together hard and slammed them into the edge of the platform.
In a burst of blue light a stone hand shot out of the platform, pushing the girl off of the tracks and into the grass on the other side. She'd probably have some bruises but other than that she'd be fine.
Meanwhile, Ed tried to skid to a stop but his momentum carried him in an ungraceful, sidelong flop over the edge of the platform. He landed hard on his chest next to the tracks. He didn't have time to catch his breath as the train arrived with a loud whistle and a thundering roar. Ed rolled to the side as quickly as possible, then lay still, breathing heavily as the wheels of the train rumbled past and squealed to a stop mere inches from his head.
"Did you see that?! A boy fell off the platform!"
"He saved that little girl!"
"What was that blue light?"
A cacophony of voices filled Edward's head as the ringing in his ears subsided.
"Was that alchemy?"
"No, he didn't draw one of those circle things."
"What else could it be?"
Ed's eyes shot open at their words. That's right! I didn't use a transmutation circle. I just clapped like I always do. But that shouldn't be possible since we didn't open the gate. I never saw the Truth. At least not this time around. But I still remember from before so maybe that's why…
"Brother!"
His body was shaking and he was still breathing hard. He didn't think he could move just yet so he called out to his brother in a shaky voice. "I'm here, Al! I'm alright."
Moments later, Alphonse's face peered over the edge of the platform. Ed smiled up at him. "Help me up, will you?" But as Ed lifted arm to accept assistance, he saw Al's face morph from worried relief to abject horror.
"Brother…" the word came out in a whimper.
"Al? What is it?" Alphonse shook his head, unable to speak, but his eyes were locked firmly on Ed's right shoulder. Ed frowned and followed his brother's gaze.
The first thing he noticed was the blood. There was a lot of it. How had he not noticed before? He was still shaking so hard. If he could get his body to settle down, maybe he could think straight. Where was it coming from? The girl was fine. He was sure of it. But the only other person down there was himself so… Oh!
He suddenly registered what was wrong, why his whole body was reacting so badly while his brain struggled to catch up.
His right arm was gone.
That's not so bad. It's always been gone.
He suddenly felt weak and very tired. Probably from the blood loss.
He felt his body being lifted and two sets of hands clinging to his left arm. Al and Winry, they're probably worried.
He couldn't hear anything over the sound of the blood rushing through his ears. Kinda like the train. But he forced his face into a smile. "I'm alright, guys. This is nothing – doesn't even hurt. Think I'm gonna sleep now though. Wake me when the stew's ready."
