Broken Embers

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of the characters.

Edward slowly wheeled up to his old house, the wheelchair tires leaving tracks in the cool dirt. The one armed boy reluctantly approached the door and grasped the handle, his pale hand shaking violently.

"Alphonse... Mom..."

He and Al had tried, they really did. Alchemy was supposed to be the answer, supposed to reunite them with their lost mother. Instead it was the bloody and gruesome end for his little brother. As for him, he was left with a single arm and leg.

That house. A house of both memories and regrets, of happiness and sorrow. The only house he had known and the only house he would rather forget. How could four walls and a roof mean so much to him? Why did it hurt so bad?

The sorrow stricken boy gradually pushed the door open and wheeled into the dark and haunting house, his eyes gazing over the furniture. It had once been a happy place full of laughter and joy. That was when they were all a family, even when his bastard father left them. The old house was the same, all except the musty and closed up smell.

Without a word Edward rolled over to the long forgotten couch, carefully lifting himself onto it as the cushion gave way to his weight. He took a deep breath and reached into his pocket, revealing several books of matches.

"I'm sorry Al, I just-," A tear beaded in the corner of his honey suckle eyes, making its way down his pale cheeks and onto his lap. "I don't have anymore family, no more reason to live."

Ed's gaze shifted to his wheelchair as he dumped the matches into a pile, a few of them falling off the seat. What was he supposed to do now? Without a brother or a mom he had no more family. He was left with a single arm and leg, hardly the material for a decent future. If he could just- leave this place. Maybe, just maybe he would see his family again. It might work, it was all he had left.

With a deep breath the lost and desperate blonde took one last look around him, memories flooding his mind from long ago. He would miss this place. He would miss Winry and Granny.

"Any last words?" Ed mused to himself, asking as if he were on death row. "Nah, what would I say?" his body was shaking as his arm ran across his shoulder stump, once again reminding him of his failures and mistakes. That's all he saw when he stared himself down in the mirror: failure. The house they grew up in was a reminder, the damned wheelchair was a reminder, and his own body wouldn't even let him forget.

"Maybe hell will be kinder to me than life was..."

With a single stoke Edward light the match on fire, staring into the small flame before tossing it onto the pile of matches that sat on his wheelchair. As soon as the pile caught fire, the defeated boy kicked it and watched it roll into some brittle and flammable furniture; the matches scattering everywhere. It didn't take long for each match to light something on fire, and in turn lighting something else until the room was engulfed in hues of orange and red.

Edward shivered as the heat began to intensify, warming his cold and brittle body. Broken embers flickered in the air as the orange and red flames danced around the house. It wouldn't be long now.

"Mom... Al-, I'll see you soon."

Despite the growing heat, tears still managed to wet his cheeks as his eyes shifted to a picture on the wall; a picture he and Al had drawn for Mom. Framed and neatly hung as a symbol of her love for her boys, her Edward and Alphonse.

On that night, in a quaint and cozy town know as Resembool, flames could be seen flickering and dancing in the moonlight as a single house burned; taking with it all the mistakes and sorrow it had brought into this world.

Including a lost and broken boy.

A/N: Hey, thanks for reading my story! I actually came up with this idea a long time ago, I've just been re-reading and revising it for a while. My author notes are typically happy and exiting, but considering the theme of the story I figured I'd explain. I really wanted to dig deep into the idea of Al dying during the human transmutation and how it would affect Edward. One of the things I love about the series is how deep the characters are and how much emotion is packed into them; so I decided to explore this area of Edward.

I hope you enjoyed my story, but by no means am I supporting or encouraging the idea of suicide. Just know that whoever you are, you are loved and cherished by many; regardless of whether you see it or not. Unfortunately I cant reach through the computer and give you a big hug, but know that you'll be in my thoughts and prayers.

On a happier note! I actually have several funny ideas and crackfics I'll be working on along with a much longer fanfic that I've been writing and adjusting for quite some time, so keep an eye out XD

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a blessed day!

Take care!