Ed, on the colonel's back, and the colonel were trekking across the desolate, snowy land. The blood seeping from Ed's wound into his clothes. The colonel wasn't in good shape either. He had taken a spectacular fall and had gotten cuts and bruises on his body. They both were in no shape to be traveling on foot, in a frozen hell. Ed had fallen asleep while being carried. And was now drawing snot from his nose on the colonel's back.
The colonel only sighed as he continued across someplace that seemed a lot like hell. He could only wonder if he and Fullmetal would survive. Did the military send somebody? No, it couldn't be possible, the train ride from Central was supposed to be four hours until they got to the northern border, at Briggs. They had ridden the train for one hour. It would be at least a good couple of hours until the military began to send reinforcements. The train only crashed and was destroyed by at least thirty-four minutes ago. Mustang continued on the long journey across the snowy path, knowing full well what trouble he and his subordinate where in.
Mustang could only continue along this white hell, trying to at least get to Briggs or a nearby town.
"Ugh…"
"Fullmetal?" Mustang asked.
The boy began to shiver. Mustang couldn't figure out if it was from the cold, or something else.
"Fullmetal?" Mustang tried again.
Only to receive a silent sob from the kid.
"Damn… I really am…" Ed began.
Mustang knew what he was about to say, but, it was a little hard to accept the truth. After all that's happened, it seemed like a nightmare that you couldn't wake up from. And that's exactly what it was. They both knew it now, but chose not to say it, hoping that there was hope. But if Mustang didn't say it, who would? It was better to get the kid over with it, instead of making him suffer through it.
"Blind, yes," Mustang replied, a bit coldly.
Mustang thought Ed would fight back about not being blind, but only heard him cry silently. Now he felt bad, but he knew it was the best thing to do in this predicament. They couldn't go walking around in a hell with lies among each other, and Ed would be able to recover, at least, maybe.
"Wait, maybe it's just dark out, right?" Ed said, hopeful, but fearful, "That's it, right?"
"No Fullmetal, it's not," Mustang replied, "Stop trying to convince yourself with false lies."
"It can't be!" Ed whined, "It just can't!"
"Fullmetal, if it was dark out, do you think I would be carrying you and walking around the darkness?" Mustang asked.
Ed went silent. He knew Mustang was right. But he didn't want to admit it. He just didn't want to, his pride would be smooshed by colonel bastard. And that would mean accepting the fact that he was blind. And that was like seeing Truth all over again, losing another limb by his hands. Just the very memory sent chills down his cold frozen spine. He sunk on Mustang's back, knowing exactly what he said was true. But he didn't want it to be.
"Fullmetal?" Mustang asked.
"Yeah yeah, I know," Ed said silently.
Mustang then saw blood on the snow. The red color stood out from the white snow. Making it noticeable. So he stopped by a tree, slowly letting Ed down by it.
"What? Why'd you stop?" Ed asked.
"You're wound, if we don't stop the bleeding, it will get infected," Mustang said, removing his jacket from Ed.
"Hmp! Well, I don't need your pity," Ed replied, crossing his arms.
Ed heard, because he couldn't see, something that sounded like ripping. 'Is that bastard ripping his jacket?' Ed mused. Then he felt his leg being lifted. He assumed it was Mustang because there was no one else out here. He quickly pushed him away. But his attempt resulted in a pain shock through his injured leg. Then a hand quickly clamped on his leg.
"Stop moving!" Mustang ordered.
"I said I don't need your sympathy, you bastard!" Ed yelled back, trying again to get his leg free.
"Yes you do, and if you don't stop moving, you'll just open the wound even more!"
Ed knew it was futile, but still tried to get free, but he just couldn't. The agony was intense as a warm liquid swept in his pant's leg. Blood was seeping in; he felt his leg go limp, and a sudden affliction. Then he couldn't move his leg anymore.
Mustang seized this opportunity to wrap Ed's wounded leg with a torn piece of fabric from his military jacket. He wrapped it around tightly; making sure the bleeding stopped flowing out. Success! Although the gauze quickly became stained red. He slowly let the leg down and put the rest of the jacket back on Ed.
"Why the hell did you do that Colonel Bastard!" Ed yelled, messing around with the bandage.
"Because if I didn't, you'd lose another leg," Mustang replied, with a smile, but he knew Ed wouldn't see it.
Then Mustang knelt down to Ed in a piggyback position.
"Get back on," He ordered.
"No thanks, I can walk on my own," Ed talked back.
"Go ahead and try,"
"I will,"
Mustang got up, looking to see how Ed would get up. Ed reached for the tree, putting his weight on it, and slowly using it as support to get up. It took all his strength not to fall down. All the weight on his automail made him slump back down, despite his best efforts. Mustang laughed.
"See, so just get back on my back," Mustang said.
"I'd rather die here than get your help!" Ed yelled.
"Fine, if that's what you want,"
Ed heard the snow crunch. While slowly, the sound going away. He began to regret those words. He needed Mustang. But his pride got in the way. Now the snow crunching was just barely heard, and Ed began to worry.
"Wait!" Ed called out.
The snow stopped crunching.
"Fine, I'll get on," Ed yelled again.
Author's Notes: I know it was a long update; I was working on another story. I still do think there were OOC, you tell me. Was it an exciting chapter? Less or more exciting? The plot will thicken!