To Heal the Wounds of the Heart
Chapter 7: Familiarity
They locked eyes, and she took a step back as if she had just been hit, and then she began to cry.
"You...I knew it was someone from before the Gate...but you?" he gasped out. Edward was baffled. "Why? What...?"
"Ed...I'm sorry..." she sobbed out, tears streaming down her face.
And when he heard her voice, there was no more doubt left in Edward's mind.
"Fullmetal Alchemist, Major Edward Elric. Youngest State Alchemist ever selected by the Amestris State Military. Name refers to artificial limbs, automail. Born 1898. Hoenheim of Light, Father. Trisha Elric, Mother. Season of birth, Winter. Shares date of birth with daughter of Brigadier General Maes Hughes. Short. Sensitive about height. Blonde hair with golden eyes. Agile. Formidable fighter. Once right-handed. Currently left-handed after replacement of right arm. Kind and easy-going, yet cynical and adept at holding grudges. February 1910, harnessed human alchemy in attempt to revive dead mother. As a result, performs alchemy without a transmutation circle. Left leg taken in transmutation. Right arm taken in payment for brother's soul. Familiar with the Gate. Killed by Envy. Revived by power of Philosopher's Stone. Gave life once more for brother's body. Also given in part of equivalent exchange: four years they spent together (supposed). Killed Greed. Killed Sloth. Spent two years on other side of the Gate. Currently in Central.
"Alphonse Elric. Brother of Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric. Born 1900. Hoenheim of Light, Father. Trisha Elric, Mother. Season of birth, unimportant. Blonde hair with golden eyes. Spent four years as soul attached to suit of armor. Body lost to the Gate in failed human transmutation. Calm, optimistic, kind. Receiver of the incomplete Stone from Scarred Ishbalan. As result, became the Stone. Used every ounce of the Stone's power to revive the killed Edward. Resurrected in 10-year old body with no memories beyond the night of the attempted human transmutation. Has alchemical ability to transmute parts of soul into inanimate objects, animating and controlling them. Recovered lost memories after passing through the Gate with Edward. Sacrificed Gluttony to open the Gate. Sacrificed Wrath to open the Gate. Currently in Central.
"Noah, surname unknown. Roma woman from world beyond the Gate. Appearance disputed. Analog beyond the Gate of Rose Thomas in this world. Rose Thomas, in attempt to find Edward (after professing her love before he died) beyond the Gate, discovered that the Gate in each person's soul can be opened when weak connection is established between one's mind, body, and soul. Also discovered that this is only possible in babies and in death or near-death. Rose Thomas starved herself to near death and, with help of many texts, opened the Gate in herself. Dying body was left in front of the Gate while her soul inhabited Noah's body. Rose Thomas searched for Edward for days until she realized that he and Alphonse had returned to Shamballa. However, her body died while in front of the Gate, taking her mind and soul with it. This strange event caused Noah's soul to be pulled from her body and back to the Gate, where Rose's body was now unoccupied. Noah's soul inhabited the empty body and she returned to Shamballa. Important to note that, theoretically, Rose Thomas' mind and soul are still lingering somewhere within the Gate, without a vessel, and she is not technically dead. Noah, surname unknown, seems to have inherited Rose Thomas' life, including her pre-existing feelings."
The lit screen stood in stark contrast to the otherwise unlit room. The shadowy figure sitting in front of it paused for a moment, skimming through a few files and papers. Returning to the screen, it paused again, before quickly etching out the last words.
"Currently in Central."
A large locomotive came to a halt, screeching slowly into its designated spot in Central Station, carrying a large amount of passengers with it. Among the hustle and bustle of a typical day in Central, its doors quietly slid open. One by one, people began to disembark, sliding off with their luggage and blending into the crowd.
As the flood of people leaving the train began to slow, another one stepped off, carrying only one suitcase and a letter.
Winry Rockbell had arrived in Central.
She smiled softly and began strolling towards the exit. It wouldn't be long before she'd see Edward again. Not until after everyone had gotten off of the train did one final person slip off, wearing a black cloak that covered every bit of them. Locating the direction Winry had taken, it stood upright and proceeded, following far behind at a slow pace.
"Winry Rockbell, close friend of Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric. Born 1898. Sarah Rockbell, Mother. Pinako Rockbell, Grandmother. Provides automail for Fullmetal Alchemist. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Parents, doctors killed by Roy Mustang in Ishbal War. Frequently travels with the brothers. Optimistic. Outgoing. Attractive. Tends to disregard rules when excited. Intelligent. Extensive knowledge of technology and mechanics. Very emotional. Now in Central."
"Noah?"
"Yes," she began, but was restricted by her apparent inability to find the right words. She was no longer crying, as if she had been able to simply stop after the initial shock of Edward's discovery.
Ed smiled humorously. "I thought you were Rose. You look just like her."
"You can't tell, Edward?" she said, in a slightly different tone, causing realization to flash across his face in the form of horror.
"...Noah?"
She only nodded. Edward was in disbelief. He leaned back, hitting the wall, and folded his arms to consider the situation from all angles. Regardless, he wasn't able to make any sense of what was going on. Slamming his fist into the wall in anger, he took a few steps closer to the girl standing in front of him. Alphonse, alerted by the noise, entered the room.
"How can that be?" Ed continued, "It's you, but...that's her body...isn't it?"
She once again nodded, and Edward sank into a sitting position, supporting his head with his hands. Al was thoroughly confused, looking from Ed to Noah and back to Ed with wide eyes.
"How did that happen? How could that happen? Unless..." Suddenly Ed's eyes sprang open and he leaped to his feet, locked in a fighting stance.
"Brother, what?" Alphonse asked.
Ed muttered under his breath, "Dante."
"Dante?"
"Who?"
Alphonse and Noah's reactions occurred simultaneously. Al's look of shock was matched only by Noah's of confusion. There was silence for a moment, until Edward relaxed into a more upright stance, a look of thought etched across his face. He moved closer to Noah, scanning her intently, before stopping and sighing thankfully.
"Nevermind. Al, she can't be Dante. Otherwise, her skin would be rotting. There isn't a single blemish on her."
"Rotting? How do you know that?" Al responded.
"Dad," Ed answered, depressed, "Dad told me."
Al stood silent for a moment, before, "Brother..."
Sensing what Al was indicating, Ed jumped back once more, even angrier this time.
"Envy!"
Silence. After a few moments, the brothers deduced that Envy was, or should have been, dead, and the pseudo-Envy they had met would not be able to conceal its Ourobouros...or so they thought. Regardless of if they were wrong, they dropped it for the moment. There were no more questions after that. Ed apologized to Noah and turned to go, but before he did, he turned around one more time and raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Noah...in Rose's body...how did that happen?"
"I..." she began quietly, "I don't really know. I was in my world when I felt some presence invading my body. The world dimmed, and then I was standing in front of that Gate you always spoke of. I saw the body that I am in now and fell asleep. And when I woke up...I was like this."
"How long ago was that?"
"Two months."
"Who else knows?" Ed pressed.
"Nobody," Noah answered quietly. "It seemed that at the time this happened to me, this girl had been living a very solitary life. Nobody has inquired or noticed."
"Not even Mustang?" Ed shook his head. "Nevermind. Rose...what were you thinking?"
"Do you know what happened?" Noah asked, almost hopefully.
"No...but I have an idea. Listen, Noah. I need you to just get some rest tonight, okay? I'm going to do some thinking and we'll decide what to do tomorrow. Is that acceptable?"
She nodded, and the brothers turned to leave the room. Before either took a step, however, Ed was restrained by Noah's arm, which was holding his sleeve tightly. It looked like there was something she wanted to say, but nothing was coming out. Finally, she let go and began speaking.
"Edward...I feel like I have been inserted into this girl's life. I have faint memories of things she experienced, and I am feeling things that must have come from her."
"What the hell do you mean, Noah?" Ed was confused and tired.
"Well...Edward...I am drawn to love you. In addition, as soon as I arrived I felt compelled to don this disguise and find you. It is as if something told me to do it. I am almost certain it's something that Rose held within herself. There are times I can't control my thoughts or actions."
Ed, mouth agape, proceeded to leave the room, dragging Al behind him. Over his shoulder, he offered only, "Get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow."
The brothers exited, and the connecting door shut behind them.
The moon hung high in the sky, illuminating almost all before it. Its soothing light encompassed everything. Amidst the quiet night, moonlight softly drifted in through open windows everywhere, giving light to the otherwise unlit world. In the Elric brothers' room, the curtains were drawn tight. Not a single bit of light made its way through the cracks.
The darkness in the room was absolute, matched only by the darkness in Edward Elric's heart.
He sat on the edge of his bed, weary face forlorn and etched with sadness. He slouched quietly, facing away from the bed where his brother slept soundly, with his hair untied and cascading over his hunched shoulders. Silently, he ran a hand through it, closing his eyes and imagining happier times. When his eyes opened once more, he spoke out quietly.
"Dad," he began softly, to himself, "Teacher..."
His face fell even more.
"Mom..." came the whimper, "And now Rose..."
His voice then fell to a whisper.
"They're all dropping off...one by one. Who's the next to leave?" Edward questioned the darkness, but the black silence gave him no answer. He waited for a few more fleeting moments before drawing the sheets back and laying down, allowing his battered body and weary mind to get the rest that they so rightly deserved.
But it was his heart that hurt the most.
As it had always done, the moon gradually recessed back into its rightful place and allowed the sun to rise, taking its glorious spot in the eastern sky while the day began anew. Slowly, life returned to the world as animals in the forests and people in the city awoke in unison. In Central, the commotion of daily life in an urban jungle began early. Cars continually glided throughout the streets noisily while people strolled along the sides. Shops, businesses and restaurants began to open.
The Military Headquarters at Central were not yet open, but that did not stop Major General Roy Mustang from being there. Nor, in fact, did it stop one angry Fullmetal Alchemist from barging through the front doors and banking a hard right, on a direct beeline for that certain general's office.
Edward stomped down the halls, Alphonse in tow and practically dragging Noah. After another turn the trio found themselves in the corridor once more, one hundred feet from the door. It was at that point that Ed actually sped up, dashing for the door. A flying kick sent it open when he reached his destination.
Once again, Captain Hawkeye stood, armed pistol in hand, before realizing it was the brothers. She rolled her eyes before turning to sit, until noticing the third guest squeezed behind the two brothers. Rather than training her gun on the newcomer's forehead, she glanced at Roy and took a step forward. Mustang smiled smoothly and waved a hand. Hawkeye paused a minute before returning quietly to her seat.
"Good morning, Ed, Al," Mustang said, without looking up.
Edward was wasting no time. " Roy," he demanded, approaching the desk. Mustang looked up sharply at the use of his first name. When he raised an eyebrow expectantly, Ed pushed Noah out front and said bluntly, "Recognize her?"
"No, Ed, I have no clue who this is," he began, "or what you're trying to prove."
"I'll get straight to the point, then. This woman's name is Noah. She's known around here, though, as Lyncia Asuna. How's that?" Edward finished huffily.
Roy opened his mouth for a moment before closing it firmly and raising a questioning finger. "How can you back this up, Ed?" he inquired bluntly. Noah looked from him to Ed, then to Al, and finally back to Ed. She stepped forward.
"It's true. I disguised my identity to take the State Alchemist exam," she answered meekly.
Roy was looking for words when he asked, simply, "Why?"
"Listen Mustang...I really want to explain the whole thing to you right now, but we don't have the time. I wrote a small amount of what I assume happened on this," he said while handing a small piece of paper to Roy, "but I don't know if it's all true. We've talked it over, and both of us request a discharge for 'Lyncia Asuna.' Is that okay?"
Roy cocked an eyebrow before fumbling for some paperwork. He shooed the trio out while saying, "Yeah, yeah, it's fine. Just get out of my sight."
Ed grinned as he left, muttering a, "Thanks, General," before the door shut.
On the streets of Central, it was easy for Edward, Alphonse and Noah to blend into the crowd, although they weren't trying to. They casually strolled along, apparently without a real destination. It wasn't so much that the brothers were looking for something; it was more that they were waiting for something to find them. They were relaxing and looking for clues at the same time. If they happened to simply bump into something big, it would be much better than spending the whole day scouring the area.
As they walked Edward turned around momentarily to see if they had passed anything important so far; his answer was a firm no, but he did notice Noah staring at him with a soft smile on her face. Whipping around, he stared straight forward. What she had said the previous night once again entered his mind.
I'm drawn to love you.
Shaking the thought off, he continued walking while turning to Alphonse.
"Say, Al..."
"Yeah?"
"About Avarice, and Envy..."
"What is it?"
"Why are they working together? Somebody obviously created Avarice trying to revive someone, but why would have any reason to work with that thing?"
"I'm not sure. I don't know if Dante is still alive, so it couldn't be a situation where she simply created it to work for her, like with Greed and Gluttony," Al concluded, "...could it?"
"I don't think so," Ed countered, "Besides the fact that Avarice acts as if he has his own agenda, there's something about that Envy. It's not the same one that we know. It couldn't be. The Ourobouros mark is in a different place, and it has different abilities."
"Yeah...that makes sense," Al pondered, "But I wonder how a Homunculus is born blind. That's really strange."
"Tell me about it," was Ed's answer. All the while, Noah continued to follow two steps behind the both of them, looking at Edward but not attempting to hear or comprehend the brothers' conversation.
Alphonse had reached his conclusion. "I think we're going to run into both of them again, but I also think that what we need to worry about right now is Noah and where we're going to go from here," he finished.
Edward smiled. "Yeah, Al, you're right. I was thinking that--" he began, but stopped when he brushed against a woman, knocking her aside, "Oh, sorry."
The girl stumbled for a moment before turning around to say, "It's okay, it was my...Ed?"
"Huh?"
"Ed!"
"Winry?"
Winry threw herself into Edward's arms, clutching him happily for a few seconds before withdrawing to grin at Alphonse. "I made it, you guys! Aren't you glad to see me?"
Ed smiled and nodded. "Yeah. We are. It's good to see that you made it."
"Yeah, well I--Hey, where's Lyncia?" Ed and Al looked at each other ruefully before stepping aside.
"That's her," Ed signaled, pointing to Noah.
"Ed, what are you saying?" Winry asked, confused, "That's Rose...isn't it?"
Noah shook her head, glancing sadly at Edward.
"Winry, we've got just a bit of explaining to do," Al stated. She looked at him questioningly before allowing the brothers to lead her off, with Noah in tow. Only Ed and Al knew it, but they were heading directly back towards the train station.
No more than fifty feet behind them, a figure cloaked in black followed behind, expertly pretending to be interested in something else.
"This doesn't make a whole lot of sense, Riza."
"It must not, General, for you to actually use my name."
Mustang raised an eyebrow and sighed angrily. Pointing a finger over at his Captain, he blinked lazily and thought hard about a good rebuke. "If you're trying to say that I'm too professional, then maybe you should remember that you're the best in the business at that," he remarked, then grinned. "Why don't you remind me of a time we had a normal conversation? I can't remember any, besides after I lost my eye."
Riza'a eyes flitted sadly towards Roy before she returned to her work.
"So what is it that doesn't make a lot of sense, General?"
"This is exactly what I'm talking about," he complained, albeit with a knowing smile. After deciding to drop it, he added, "What Ed wrote, it doesn't make a lot of sense. He says that the girl used to be from Lior, but now..."
"Yes, General?"
"This is just too damn confusing. He says he's heading East for a while and then he'll contact me again." Satisfied with that, Mustang dropped the paper into a small tray and snapped, incinerating it.
"I hope you don't mind me saying, sir..."
"What is it, Captain?" Roy answered, with intended sarcasm focused on the rank.
Riza disregarded it, continuing, "It seems like since Edward returned, you two have had a new level of respect for each other."
Roy again cocked an eyebrow, glancing at Ed's papers, then back to Riza, and finally closing his eyes to recount a few recent memories of the Fullmetal Alchemist. He smiled at Hawkeye. After a brief moment, he stood up and walked over to where she stood, single eye half-closed in a clever smirk.
"We would both hate to admit it, but you just might be right."
A small bench with onyx-colored iron legs and a light brown paint-job rested in the very center of the Central Train Station, just barely managing to fit four people on it. Alphonse sat upright at the very end, doing all he could to provide enough space for his brother and the girls. An unsuspecting Edward had found himself sandwiched in between a confused, questioning, talkative Winry and a depressed, distant Noah. Every time Ed looked at her, he saw Rose, but it couldn't be helped.
"So, Ed, tell me one more time why we're getting on a train right after I just got off one," Winry demanded.
"I told you, Winry," Edward said with a smile, "We need to go East. Al and I need to look for something there."
"And you had to drag me along?"
"You can go back to Resembool alone, if you want."
In the wake of Ed's answer, there was only silence.
The group of four had been sharing that bench for nearly two hours, waiting patiently for the train that was supposed to arrive sometime near 11:00. It would take them to a small town east of Central where they'd have to take a connecting line to get to East Headquarters. In all reality, though, Edward had little intention of going there.
Ed leaned back lazily, gazing up. His eyes began to roam, and when they met with his brother's, he smiled sincerely. In return, Al nodded and grinned. They both knew exactly what they were going for.
Noah was seemingly in her own world. Noticing her daze, Ed leaned forward slightly, trying to see what she was looking at. Her hand moved slightly, and coincidentally brushed against his. She snapped back to reality, her eyes widening considerably, and turned to look at Ed. He could see a strange look in her eyes, akin to the one she had when she had described Resembool to him.
A loud whistle penetrated the still air, drowning out the conversations of the people around them. The locomotive pulled up on the nearest rails, directly in front of the bench. A large, round man with an odd moustache stepped out, wearing the traditional navy blue uniform of the conductor.
"To Tanehsa!" he yelled, "All aboard!"
"Well, that's us," Ed announced, pulling Winry up. Al and Noah stood by themselves. The group moved as far down the platform as they could, choosing the car in the far rear of the train. They filed on, realizing that they had attained their goal; the entire car was empty, and the crowd showed no signs of venturing far enough to board it, instead choosing to seat themselves at the train's front.
Ed took the first seat by the window he could find. Sitting down on the red-cushioned bench, he placed his small briefcase on the rack above him and motioned the other three to take their seats. Winry moved to sit by Ed, and Noah looked as if she wanted to, but the golden-eyed Fullmetal Alchemist smiled and waved apologetically, beckoning his brother to sit by him.
Winry huffily sat across from the brothers. Noah quietly took her seat beside her.
After five minutes, the conductor gave the order to pull out, satisfied that all passengers had safely made it onto the train. Ed folded his arms and turned to Al. As the locomotive began its motion, the cars followed, and soon the entire length had made it out. While Winry gazed at the window and Noah gazed at the floor, the brothers engaged in a whispered conversation that, although hushed, sounded serious.
The train plowed on through the midday heat, heading for the small eastern town of Tanehsa.
Most had failed to notice it, but one person had traveled down the length of the train far enough to board two cars up from theirs.
And that person wore a black cloak.
There wasn't much of anything in Tanehsa, much like Orwell. It made Edward wonder how its citizens dealt with their mundane life. He disembarked with Alphonse, Winry and Noah, moving across the platform to another line. An old-fashioned sign informed them that the connecting train would be arriving in twenty minutes. Taking another seat, they waited.
Twenty-five minutes later, a slightly annoyed Edward led them onto a new train, once again picking the most out-of-the-way car possible, but for a different reason this time.
They all got on and sat down, but Edward and Alphonse made no attempts to make themselves comfortable. As the train pulled out of the station, they looked at each other and prepared.
The train cruised silently for somewhere around 40 minutes before Edward estimated that East Headquarters was half an hour away. He stood up, nodding to Al, who also took to his feet.
"Ed, what are you doing?"
"Don't worry about it, Winry."
Edward gave a thumbs-up to Alphonse, who made his way over to one of the connecting doors of the car. He closed his eyes and bent over slightly, clapping his gloved hands together. The tattoos embroidered on them met, and he placed his palms flat against the door. A small spark ran through Al's arm to the door, which proceeded to glow blue for a moment. Ed crouched before springing up, throwing a flying right boot through the window, shattering the glass. He, too, clapped his hands together and pressed them to the wall, causing the hole to expand until an entire section of the car's wall had been peeled back.
Alphonse beckoned the soul-empowered door out of its frame and over to Edward, who threw it out of the hole.
Winry looked up. "Ed, why didn't you just use your arm to break the window?"
"Are you kidding? I'd cut myself in a million places."
"Right...so why did you guys do that, anyway?"
"Do what?" Ed questioned, jerking a thumb towards the hole. Winry looked out over it, jumping back in surprise. Just to the side of the train, next to the rails, the door was laying flat on the sandy ground, skimming and sliding at the same speed of the locomotive.
"How is that even...possible?" she pressed, slack jawed.
Once more, Ed simply jerked a thumb, this time in Al's direction. His brother was sitting on the opposite bench, eyes tightly shut, extremely focused. "Now come on," he said, gesturing towards the sliding door, "Get on."
"Get on? Ed, are you crazy?"
"It's not that hard, Winry. Just step on. Here, I'll show you."
Ed leaned forward, training his eyes on the door, and literally fell out of the train. When Noah and Winry looked down, they saw him standing up straight on the moving vessel, arms outstretched.
"I'll even help you."
With a sense of confidence at Edward's boldness, Winry ventured to the edge of the train and walked out into space, falling into Ed's arms. She stood smiling for a moment, until he did the same for Noah. Finally, Al stood up and slowly walked over to the door, lowering himself down with Ed's help. He opened his eyes, and the door gradually came to a stop. The train continued on without them.
They were stranded in the East.
"Hey Al, is Ed alright?" Winry whispered to the younger Elric.
"What do you mean?"
"Well...I think he forgot that automail can't really get cut."
Al simply shrugged, causing Winry to turn to his brother.
"I still don't get the point of that, Ed," she whined.
Ed stepped off of the door and onto the sand, holding a long bang back and grinning carelessly into the distance.
"Well, we were being followed," he said, reinforced by a nod from Al, "but that's not really important. We got off here because we actually need to go in that direction," Ed finished, raising a hand to point slightly southeast.
"And what's that way?"
Ed's smile broadened, but it never reached his eyes.
"Lior."
In the eastern town of Lior, it had taken some time, but the people slowly readjusted themselves and began new lives. The old chapels and monasteries that had been dedicated to the sun god Leto had been renovated and replaced, furnished into markets, inns, and museums. The same calm wind still blew through the city, just as it had during the brothers' very first visit. The damage caused during the military occupation had been almost completely repaired, both in people's property and in people's hearts.
Ed had kindly instructed Noah to cover herself and hide her face while they ventured through the town, but regardless of how hard she tried, countless people still approached her to bow and ask if she was the Holy Mother, to question where she had gone, or to tell her how much she resembled Rose. Al politely fended them off while Ed stoically led his quartet through the streets, a baffled Winry right on his heels.
They passed by a familiar bar, and a rugged man with a graying moustache called out to Ed.
"Hey you, with the blonde hair! Haven't I seen you here before."
"No, I'm sorry, this is my first time here!" he yelled back, falsely, "although I have heard a lot about this place!"
They continued on in silence, while Ed continually sped up the pace. Thanks to his haste, they arrived at their destination less than fifteen minutes later.
"Takes you back, huh?" he said, turning to Al.
"Yeah, it does."
The church that stood in front of them was the one building not a single soul had wasted time trying to fix. It stood there, decaying, its once regal white walls now cracked and gray, an eternal symbol of both Cornello's lies and the military oppression the townspeople had lived through. The brothers wrapped around the abandoned building, finding the graveyard in the back.
"Well, I guess this is as good a place as any, seeing as how we can't go to the underground city," Ed commented, motioning Noah over. He asked her to lay down, and she obliged.
"Listen, Noah, it was good to see you again."
"What are you doing?" Winry asked, slightly alarmed. Al made his way over and kneeled opposite his brother, on Noah's other side.
"If this doesn't work," Ed continued, "I'll know I'm wrong and we'll see you when you wake up. If it does, then...take care of yourself."
Confused and a little scared, Noah smiled regardless and looked up at Ed. "I trust you, Edward."
"Do you now?" he said humorously, his eyes meeting hers.
"When I touched you, I saw...memories. Memories of this girl. You were younger, maybe fifteen. She caused you a lot of frustration, but you felt her anguish. You told her the truth, but she was unwilling to hear it. You were told bad things happened to her, and you felt for her. And...she told you she loved you."
"Yeah, that about sums it up." Ed smiled at Noah.
He clapped his hands, while Al brought his together as well. In unison, they placed them on the woman's body, closing their eyes.
A blinding light enveloped them all.
In the void, in front of those doors, light and emptiness all around her, she sat quietly. She was lonely, waiting as she had been for as long as she could remember. Pulling her knees to her chest, she lowered her head to rest in between them and sighed, a tear falling from her beautiful face.
She could not move from this place.
Her eyelids fluttered for a moment. When she looked up, there was another standing before her. Although she was still rooted to the spot, she stood, her hands clasped in hope. The void, the loneliness, they were gone temporarily.
"You look so much like me," she whispered.
"And you, me," the other replied.
"How long have I been here?"
"It doesn't matter."
Her face fell. The other smiled and moved over to where she stood, ending up just behind her.
"You should go back."
"I can't."
"He's waiting for you."
Her eyes widened, and an unseen tear fell from them. The doors opened. She turned, but the other had already disappeared into their depths. The doors shut once again. It was back to the way things were. The loneliness set in once more. The void encompassed her. And yet, she found herself able to move.
"Thank you."
She slowly walked four paces ahead, and then looked up. A light feeling encompassed her, and she vanished, leaving those dreadful doors far behind.
The world slowly filled itself in, as if being etched from all directions. It was a while past midday, and the sun shone down unforgivingly, spreading its rays out across the sand and through the town.
Ed kneeled in front of the graves, his brother across from him. Their heads were both hanging in exhaustion.
"Al, how did we do that?"
"I don't know, Brother."
They waited still, hands limply hanging at their sides, eyes closed. There was silence.
Below them, eyes fluttered, and then flitted open. Moments elapsed.
"Ed!"
She sat up quickly, throwing her arms around him, pressing her body to his, breathing softly on his face. Her arms tightened, and her entire body slacked against his. She would never let him go.
"Oh, Ed!"
"Rose?"
A/N: Well, hello, everyone! I mean that with the utmost sincerity. I hope you've all been doing fine in the absense of my usual updating. XD. Well...what can I say. Disney was a blast. I thought it was going to be for kids, but I rode rollercoasters, went swimming, explored, saw the Wide World of Sports...it was amazing. In the meantime, I bought Fullmetal DVD Vol. 10 and I'm prepping for Vol. 11 to be released on the first of August. In terms of story, I have few notes. The person was technically Rose, but only one person guessed Noah, so I guess you could say that Renneh "won," although it was dumb to begin with. Izumi and Lyra would have been great choices...if only they weren't dead.
I want to say that although this chapter is slightly shorter than the rest, I hope you still enjoy and remember that I've laid the groundwork for a huge, exciting, intriguing Ch. 8. I can't tell you all how thrilled I am to say this, but here goes: I got so many reviews for Ch. 6 that I can't possibly do a reviewer's corner, but my excessive and lavish thanks goes out to Keeper of the Times, romance rocker, Merodi-chan ( 3 XDD), FruitsBasketFreak44, cuylerjade, virtualsheep, DCL1981, Renneh, Sophen Yatsuagi, Demon Lord Sesshomaru, S J Smith, Bob, and Ryan Evans for all of their reviews. Thanks a bunch guys (and gals)! Keep it up next chapter!
If there's anything I forgot or you want to contact me, I'm open to reviews, PM, or e-mail.
Also, a humongous thanks and a round of applause are deserved by merodi-chan for her extensive and hugely appreciated help in pre-reading, editing and revising this chapter, as well as pointing me in the right direction in a few uncertain situations. You're awesome.
Preview
Chapter 8 - Promises
Equivalent Exchange. "I'll find you again." There are some laws that can't be broken, and some promises that must be kept.
Thanks all.
See ya soon!
LL