If you're reading this, then this means you're reading a page that is like a personal review of my fanfiction Everything's Not Lost. So if you dislike pretentious writing that goes on and on about what I did wrong, and all the references I put in, then leave. But if you're one of those rare people who are interested in learning a little bit more about this fanfiction, and leaving with some knowledge, then please, by all means continue reading.
I know a LOT of people are pissed off at the ending, and if I was a fan girl (which sadly is impossible. Gender bias), I'd be annoyed too, but somewhere in this pretentious mess is the answer to the ending.
For starters, I kept going on and on about how this FanFiction was based off Cold Mountain, a (boring) novel by Charles Frazier. Before I tell you how much it is based off it (short answer, everything) I should say that I had to study this book for A-Level English, and it was one of the worst books I ever read, and the film is no better! Nicole Kidman is terrible in it, no wonder she didn't get an Oscar, but Jude Law and Renee Zellweger did! But enough about the film, I'm not reviewing that. For starters, (and here, you can see how much my fanfiction rips it off), Cold Mountain is about a soldier called Inman who suffers a neck injury in a war, and because he doesn't want to have to die, he sets off on a journey back to Cold Mountain to see his wife Ada again. Meanwhile, Ada is distraught over how long her husband has been gone, and she leaves him for dead. Meanwhile, Ruby comes along to help her out, and Ada builds up independence. Eventually Inman returns, Ada is happy, they have sex, the home guard come calling, Inman fights, dies, Ada sprouts his baby, everyone lives a mediocre happy ending.
Right, bits that are direct references to the novel, Roy writing the letter, Roy finding someone who joins him on his travels (in the novel, it's someone called Veasy), Roy finding the family get murdered by the guards, Roy crossing the river and getting attacked by guards, Roy and Finn going to a pub which is actually a brothel, Roy nearly getting killed, Roy going home, Roy having 'implied' sex with Riza (did you pick up on that?) and so on. All of this happens in Cold Mountain. As for Riza, the only similarities are Riza being distraught, Winry coming to help her (In the novel, it's a Ruby). As for the Elric returning, in the novel, it's Ruby's father, who actually does get shot by the guards. Fun eh? All these references!
As for the chapters, I'm sure at least one of you guessed that every single chapter was named after a song. Sadly, only the name of the song holds the relevancy, and not the song's integrity (which is pathetic right? For someone who ladles it heavily with references to a book, couldn't I reference meaning from a song? No!) Anyway, I thought perhaps someone might be interested in checking out all the songs, so here is the list of everything.
Chapter Heading ExplanationsChapter.1 – Us & Them – Pink Floyd (refers to Roy and the others in the hospital)
Chapter.2 – Fog (Again) – Radiohead (refers to the fog in Risemboul)
Chapter.3 – I See Red – Clannad (refers to the red colour of blood)
Chapter.4 – Wires to Flying Birds – The Veils (refers to the final image of the bird on the telephone wires)
Chapter.5 – Is There Anybody Out There? – Pink Floyd (refers to Roy wondering who is out there in the forest)
Chapter.6 – Remember A Day – Pink Floyd (refers to Riza reminiscing)
Chapter.7 – Across the River – Peter Gabriel (refers to Roy's journey across the river)
Chapter.8 -滴いっぱいの記憶 (A Drop Filled With Memories) – Susumu Hirasawa (refers to the memories Riza remembers)
Chapter.9 – Suspicion – R.E.M. – (refers to Roy's suspicion of the landlord)
Chapter.10 – Memories and Honesty – Gregory and the Hawk (refers to the memories Ed has, and his honesty in them)
Chapter.11 – Escape – Muse (refers to Mustang's escape)
Chapter.12 – Memorial – Explosion in the Sky (refers to the memorial of Ed and Al's past, in the form of their house, and the graveyard)
Chapter.13 – Coming Home – Dallas Green (refers to Roy finally making it home)
Chapter.14 – You Found Me – The Fray (refers to Riza's line of telling Roy that he found her)
Chapter.15 – DOA – Foo Fighters (refers to Ed being almost dead when he arrives back at the Rockbells)
Chapter.16 – Leaving Hope – Nine Inch Nails (refers to how hope is lost when Roy is dying)
Chapter.17 – The Setting Sun – Switchfoot (refers to the sun that is setting)
Wow, that was pretentious eh? Back to the explanation of the fanfiction, and the most important thing of all. Is Roy Mustang dead or not? My problem was that in the novel, Inman is shot after getting it on with Ada, but considering the fan girls of Roy Mustang, I didn't think I'd get away with it as well, so what I did was just leave it open to interpretation. For those who want to believe he died, he had an entire gun emptied into him, and that in Cold Mountain, Inman died. For those who want to believe he's okay, and just wasn't around in the final chapter, then reason with that it's never said that he died, and that Winry is a surgeon in technical terms. So there, everyone can be happy!
Oh, and the other thing that might be on your minds, Riza, having a child? Did I make them have implied sex? Hmmm… Yes I'd say! In direct reference to the novel, they got it on, but sadly for those into that kind of thing, I didn't write it in, cause this isn't an M rated fanfiction (Though perhaps I should've made it that, and made it more gory and more swearing, like my other fan fictions). Anyway, yeah. Roy got his freak on,
Oh, and what was about Riza's memory of Roy taking her into his house and telling her a story? When did that happen? The answer is that it didn't. It's just another fan-fiction I wrote called Bullet Proof… I Wish I Was (but for the love of God, don't read it. My writing style was terrible then!)
For the more boring bits, if there was something I could change (cause I always do this), then I would change the length. I rushed through the story cause I didn't want to drag it out as much as it was done in the original novel. But there was so much more I could've put in. Roy meeting crazy goat lady! (That'd be fun) or Roy meeting the lonely woman who he shares a bed with (That'd be fun too!). Inman did all of this in Cold Mountain, but I didn't let Roy do it. Ain't I a stinker!
So in conclusion, I thank you for reading my extremely dull fanfiction, and next time, I recommend you read a more clichéd one, where Riza and Roy have a happy ending. (For the love of God, I will never write that… Angst all the way! Or implied angst.) ((Oh yes, I do prattle on!))