37: Forget Me Drop

I don't own FMA and it belongs to its rightful owners anything else belongs to AENR13. Thank you all for everything! I hope you enjoy the last chapter! Now I'm happy to announce that Between the Illusions and Flames is complete.

3rd person

The doctor comes inside of the room causing Mustang and Dylan to look up. Mustang's in a wheelchair with an eyepatch covering his injured eye, Dylan rises as the doctor closes the door behind him. Emi runs up to him despite Dylan trying to hold her back; she grabs the Doctor's pants and asks

"Is Mommy going to be okay?!" She asks (she hasn't really worked on calling Laura her Aunt) the doctor makes a face;

"Emi," Dylan calls so she goes over to him,"What's her status?" Dylan questions

"The odds are stacked against her; the Alchemy Device caused an infection and her Auto Mail was mostly destroyed, if we go through the operation, she has a chance but not a good one. I will not operate until you give me the authorization," he informs them, Dylan's hold tighten's around Emi's shoulders,

"Do it." Mustang barely gets the words out. Dylan makes a shocked face

"Are you crazy?! She has an infection if they operate now it can get worse!" He throws his head over towards him

"So what?! You're just going to sit there and watch her die?! I'm ordering," he tries to stand up but fails miserably to prove his point "just go ahead and get the operation over with!" The doctor leaves to go ahead before they change their minds.

"Go to hell," Dylan picks up Emi and leaves Mustang to himself.

It's been a day since the surgery to stop the infection and help repair the Auto Mail in Laura, Leo stands over her in the bed as she's asleep, he frowns as with his uninjured arm reaches down into his pocket. He pulls out a bottle that has a neon green liquid in it, he opens the cap and about to put it into Laura's liquid bag when there's the door being slammed open. He turns around and Mustang wheels himself in

"What are you doing?" He demands as he comes to a stop in front of Leo, he glances down at the bottle.

"It's called the Forget Me Drop, it's supposed to be a serum to put Illusion Seals on a person's memories of someone." He replies

"So you're giving her amnesia?" Roy asks as he rests his head against his hand, Leo smirks

"Yeah, I guess you can call it that. She'll still have those memories but she won't have any access to them, Roy, can you do me a favor?" He nods so Leo puts the bottle in his hand "Make sure she gets it, it'll put seals on all of her memories of me. She won't remember me by the time of a week. And make sure she never finds out about her and I interacting; I've caused her so much pain and trouble and this is the least I can do to make amends,"

"So why aren't you giving me one?" Roy asks because he'll do anything to forget about Leo Anderson. Leo smirks

"Men generally have a tendency to forget faster than women; you will eventually forget about me, but when she gets it, there's a chance she won't remember about anything that's happened as long as she's known me," he confesses

Roy clenches his jaw as there's a sinking feeling in his chest "So meaning, everything that's happened in the past months she won't remember anything at all?" Leo nods

"Yeah, well, it's been an honor working with you Colonel Mustang," he extends his free hand towards him,

"Like wise," they shake it and Leo leaves.

Hawkeye comes in the room and she finds Roy with silent tears running down his cheeks

"Roy?" She asks with caution as she stands next to him. He explains to her about the Forget Me Drop, "So why are you crying? Aren't you more than happy that she and everyone will eventually forget about him?" He nods, he then mumbles

"That's the point, she won't remember." He refers to them sleeping together but deep down he knows that it'll be selfish of him not to give her the Forget Me Drop; imagine waking up to find a love interest vanished into thin air forever? He hands the bottle to Hawkeye "put it in the vials," she nods and puts the Drop into the bag, it mixes with the liquid and then is drained into her body. They just watch as the last drop of neon disappears.

It's been 13 exactly since the collapse of the State Military, Laura has woken up and as suspected, she has no idea who Leo Anderson is. Mustang ordered his company to not to ever mention Anderson around her; meanwhile as everything's being built back together, Anderson has simply vanished into thin air without a trace.

A year later.

There's a letter underneath Laura's door, she picks it up, opens it and walks into her apartment, she sits down. A smaller piece of paper falls out so she reads it,

"To Laura Fang,

Hello, I know you don't know me but my name's Cristina and I was your lieutenant's neighbor once when the Military fell apart after the collapse. He has unfortunately passes away due to some serious health problems; before his death, he would generally mention about his Colonel with such an affection in our conversations along with another higher ranking officer. Well once when we had the funerals, I was going through his apartment to help selling his possessions to settle debts when I found this unsent letter; I did research of my own and found your address, I hope it's worth your reading. Cristina Drew." There's an address and a phone number saying it's hers, she shrugs and reads the other letter.

It reads,

"If you forgot about me, I don't mind. I was only a hazard for you and Mustang... The best illusions are the ones that people don't even realize that are happening. Ignorance is bliss, I know you don't remember me but I have some things to thank you about.

You taught me that immortality doesn't mean me physically living forever. People that are mortal can become immortal as long as people don't forget about them.

Also that you shouldn't underestimate the strengths of people, as long as there's a will for them to fight, they're the stronger than steel.

I know that all the pain I've caused you and Mustang was horrible but I ask of you one last thing.

Don't give up on your dream of ending up with Mustang, I know I never had the chance and I gave myself the illusion that I could but I now realize that my influence on the world now is useless. I've lived too long for my own good. I've stolen time from people that I shouldn't have stolen from them, but it doesn't mean that you should let yours go to waste.

Life is truly too short to let it slip through your fingers. Don't dwell on the deaths of your sister and parents because it was their choices on when they died. Life isn't fair but just like Mustang says

"Nothing's perfect, the world's not perfect, but it's there for us, trying the best it can. That's what makes it so damn beautiful."

You should really go follow that light that saved you from your darkness of yourself just like when you confessed your feelings for him.

Well before I write a long letter, I just want to save that I wish the best for you and hopefully you don't make the same mistakes that I did.

I wish you well Laura Fang, I loved you once and I always will because you meant a lot to me.

- Leo Anderson (Arrow Cash and all of my other alliances)

Laura and Roy head over to the small town Heath and appear at a cemetery, they're at a tombstone that reads

"Leo Anderson A man with a heart shielded by ice. Born on December 23rd, died on January 29. Age: 32. For we all must die as water splits upon the ground -unknown.

Roy peels his eyes away and grabs Laura's hand, she just continues staring down at the headstone, he waits for her to ask who he was or something of that matter,

"He really did shield his heart with ice," she blurts out as he takes a step confused,

"What?" she looks up at and repeats herself, "So meaning you knew him?" he asks trying to not give it away on how they had a connection between them, she nods and tears swell up around her eye, she reaches down into her shirt and pulls out a locket, she flips the lid and there's a picture of her and Roy and one of Leo and her in their uniforms.

"I can't truly remember him but I got a letter to him, he knew he was dying... But he told me the same thing that Hughes did, not to end up alone, that's why I have you," she gives a weak smile and adds on, "You're the flame and gave meaning to my illusions," she then stares off into the setting sky, "Someday we'll meet again,"

Again thank you all for everything! Keep reading fanfictions! -Hazuki Minuju (Your loyal writer. :3)