Chapter Eight "Hand Held Out"

Winry tried not to look at him dead in the eye, to see the rest of that face. His shadow cast down on her so that the sunlight was blocked from entering the room. She couldn't believe it, she was actually frightened of this person, the image of one of those dearest to her heart.

Still, there was a part of her that wanted to believe that Ed was still in there, that everything they knew about those created with alchemy was a lie. This was naive and she was aware of it, but it made it hard not to trust in the lie when it was staring you in the face.

"Winry, I want you to come with me." The words came out of his mouth, but it didn't sound like something Edward would say with an expression like that.

She made a mistake and let herself see his eyes and she saw that though they were gold and shining they were blank and bare. His eyes were always burning like fire, so filled with passion that nobody could ignore them. He was by no means perfect but he did have something in him that not many others had, a drive and a strong spirit.

Winry looked up with pity on her face and almost turned her head away from him when she felt fingers around the back of her neck, he held her by the top of her hair.

"Listen, I need your help if I want to bring Al back." Those words were also hollow and empty; the thing most important to Edward was being repeated by a lifeless doll for what Winry could only guess as a tool to persuade her.

"You're hurting me." She said with slight struggle in her voice, she tried to pry the grip off of her but he didn't appear to get it.

He was different than he was before, it was as if he had forgotten how human beings were supposed to be and how they were supposed to act towards one another. He only tightened his grip when she tried to pull him back.

"What's the matter? I thought that's what you wanted." He said. "Don't you humans like it when we do what you ask?"

What was most disturbing was how innocently he said this, like Edward might have as a little boy… if he never cared. He pushed her back to the floor right into the curve of a stare, whacking Winry in the back of the neck. She held it from the jolt of pain and got back on her feet, she had about all she could take from this matter.

"So you really aren't human, are you?" Winry didn't have any malice in her voice but instead it was filled with sympathy for this creature.

"Don't look at me like that," He said with a stutter in Edward's voice. "I don't like it, makes me think you're looking down on me."

"I've decided that I'm going to bring him back for you," he smiled again, shadows appearing on his face. "That way, I can become him."

These were words spoken once before by others of his kind, Lust, Wrath, many of them wished to become human but this was much more personal to Winry. All her sympathy left her and was replaced by undying anger, how dare he threaten to take his place.

"Now I know for sure you're not him," Winry wiped all the remainder that she had been crying off her face and stood firm with clenched fists. "He would never have any other reason to bring back Al, it would all be for his sake and not for himself."

He was shocked a little by this, there were lingering thought left by Ed and bits and pieces of his past inside but he pushed them back when he regained a hold of himself and snickered before he spoke. "Heh, yeah you're right, I'm not Ed. I'm the part of him he left behind, what he cast aside and Al created, I'm his body, and I'm his Pride."

"His Pride huh," She didn't know what to say to that, how to respond where he would leave her and become a faded memory.
"Do you want me to bring him back or not?" The newly named Pride offered his hand one more time and Winry was left with the decision.

One part of her wanted to cast him out, forget her was ever here but the thought of never seeing either of them again was a lot to bare; they were the closest family she had after losing her parents. If it was Edward in her place, he might suffer through being with a fake in order to bring back what was taken from him. It would mean ignoring everything she thought and felt about this new person but if it was to save Al and maybe even Edward… it was almost nothing at all to go on in this denial.

Heaven was so far away now as she took the hand that might very well bring her to Hell, all she could hope was to somehow find the secret to bringing back others, the very thing Edward suggested to her when she was a child mourning her parents. Edward also told her many times that it was a mistake and that you can't undo what's been done, she was going to be making the same errors with no promise of results.

At the same time, she couldn't let a person wear Ed's face and do harm, if she was there alongside him maybe she could stop him before he turned too far to the path Envy and the others took.

He pulled her closer to him, holding her hand like she now belonged to him. "This'll be great Winry! Ha! I'm starting to feel like the real deal already."

Despite how cheerful his laugh and statement was after he walked with her across the path from her front door, Winry couldn't help but be sick inside.
End chapter