Exertion
None of them ever expected this to be so difficult. They had heard a lot about the process, of course- or at least Winry had- and they had all been told countless times that it would not be easy; but nothing could possibly prepare them for the shocking reality of it. Winry, red-faced and sweating with effort, remained stubbornly in the room where it had started, refusing point-blank to budge, while the rest of them rushed around frantically, fetching water and painkillers and whatever else she yelled out a demand for, as quickly and quietly as they could, helping as much as they dared- for she was fiercely insistent that she didn't need them to wipe her brow or offer words of encouragement, thank you very much. Even though the business was long and arduous- and she could hardly pause for a rest halfway through now that it had started- she was determined to keep on trying as hard as she could. She battled her own creeping exhaustion as much as she did the strenuous and difficult nature of the task before her, and the pain it produced- but still she refused to let them help, saying that this was entirely her business, and she would see it through by herself. The embarrassment she would feel at being helped in this, however, was probably the main factor in her rejection of their aid, despite all her proud declarations.
She remained labouring for hours on end in this most difficult of tasks: bringing a fresh life and spark into the world; and the task grew harder and harder as time went on, and tiredness and frustration began to sap the energy from her bones.
Eventually, eventually, she slumped, her whole body limp, and it was over. Pinako, who out of all of them was the only one to fully understand what Winry had just been through, came forward to congratulate her, and offer her water, which she gulped gratefully.
The other two approached, slowly and cautiously, and bent forwards to examine the product of these hours of solid exertion. Winry, exhausted but face glowing with an inner radiance, picked up her creation and turned around proudly to show it to them.
"Isn't it beautiful?" she whispered. "Chromium-plated. My own design."
And they stared, speechless, at her as she cradled the metal limb tenderly in her arms and nuzzled her face against its cold smooth surfaces.
Author's notes: Hands up if I fooled you into thinking she was giving birth XD
This idea has been kicking restlessly around in the back of my skull for a while now, and I was really happy to finally let the little bugger loose on paper. It wasn't all that great to write, though, and it's one of my least favourite pieces so far. Ugh. Writing is so much less fun if you have a specific goal in mind. . . Not that I don't want commissions! 'Cos I do. :D
. . . Right. Some of you may have noticed the anonymous review I got on the last drabble. "boring and pointless". . . "how can you fancy Al". . ."I have always imagined Ed and Winry together". . . etc. Thanks for that! Just a shame you were too much of a coward to sign it (too afraid to even leave a name on an unsigned review)- I would have sent you a top-notch reply. So instead I'm going to leave my comments here :D
What kind of person sees a fic of a pairing they don't like, clicks on it, READS IT (the review was on the last chapter), then leaves a review like that? I'm afraid that makes YOU the pointless person, m'dear. If you don't like a pairing, don't read it. That is an unspoken rule in this community which I thought everyone knew. Perhaps I should leave a note at the start of this series, although I can't be bothered to do it for the sake of one person who doesn't even have the decency to leave a name. "This review is from somebody that is not going to tell you who they are. Although you might somehow find out and I will be anoyed" If you don't want me to find out who you are because you're worried I'll lay into you, maybe it's best not to leave the review in the first place, sugar-lump. That's not how you spell "annoyed", by the way :D
A big thank you is also due for Noseless Wonder and Salina M L who both defended me against this person. Thank you. I appreciate it. Also, I just wanted to let everyone know that this series just got over a THOUSAND hits! That may not seem many to some of you old-timers, but it's a hell of a lot to a noob like me! Thank you everyone, and goodnight:D