Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Memories ❯ That thing which was lost ( Chapter 1 )

az: Hmm.... I've got the idea.... always wanted to try this out... diff. ways of telling a story.... lots of cuts....

'Ed... promise me that you'll come back safely...'

Edward Elric glanced sideways at her as he merely shrugged it off. Unsatisfied with the reply, Winry forcefully tug his hair aback as she stopped braiding his hair. 'I can't hear you', she growled as Ed cried out her answer. 'Eiyaah!! I will... I will!! I... promise...', said Ed as he glanced awkwardly towards the door...

She smiled softly as she leant her face on the back of his shoulders. Ed felt the blood rushing to his face as Winry's soft breath grazed his barely exposed skin. 'I will hold that word on you...', she said eventually as a faint smile crept onto Ed's features. He grinned. 'So... can you finish that braid already? It's... it's started to get a little hot in here...', stuttered Ed as Winry quickly tied his hair with a red string, chuckling all the time.

'What...? I never knew you were so--', said Winry as she turned his head towards her to see his face becoming all red. Taken aback, Ed tried to pull away as Winry placed a quick peck on his cheek; causing him to be momentarily paralyzed. Inside the bronze sculpture, Al chuckled as he watched his brother involuntarily letting Winry to embrace him.

'That's for good luck! I won't forgive you if you never come back again...', she whispered as tears started to dwell in her eyes...

Ed grimaced as he sensed that tell-tale signs of her about to cry. 'Winry... don't, Winry...'

--

'Winry...', mused Edward morosely as he remembered what it felt like to hear her voice so near to his ears, while waiting for her to finish fixing his automail and feeling her fingers touching his face as she queried about his condition. And having the realization that he might no be able to see her lovely face again... despite what he had done to try getting back to that place where he belong. Well... if it worked, then maybe he could show Winry his new arm.

Ed smirked at this fact as even without being able to use alchemy in this world, it seemed that the people in this world had other things to compensate for that. And thankfully, on his part... he was glad that the operation turned out well. If not... he might really be crippled. Prosthetic limbs are no equal than automails. Though, having a flesh limb rather than a mechanical but workable arm was so much better. Dangerous... for there are chances that the body would reject the foreign parts but it worth the risk. Wonder what will Win say if she found out that I'm admitting that her automails are better...

He laughed bitterly as his eyes glanced towards the stacks of paper on his lap, ignoring the passing scenery of Berlin. He sighed. Hopefully, he will get the theories right and get it to work. That yearning to return to that world was too overwhelming, not because of the fact that he could probably be able to use alchemy again but the fact that he would be able again to see those faces of the people that he cared about. Yeah.... even the Colonel! Then again... he'd probably had been promoted to a higher rank already.. so I can't keep calling him Colonel...

So then... if I do return... would I still be the Fullmetal Alchemist? Nah... not like I would still be... but if King Bradley is no longer the Fuhrer... doesn't that mean that the State Achemists fate would be different..? Well... skip that. I must first find a way to return before thinking about such possibilities...

Hagaren... if I returned back to that world, that name will have a different meaning then...

Oh dear.... Winry...

Please don't be mad at me for not being able to keep that promise...

--

'I hate you...'

Den cocked his head towards her as Winry muttered some more incoherent words towards a certain alchemist. She sniffled a tear as she lazily fingered the red cloak that she had kept very protectively, despite her words right now. 'Hate you.... I really hate you!! Stupid Ed...', she muttered as she cried again... perhaps for the tenth time in the week...

--

Central City, Military HQ

He's at it again, why did he never listened!! Those injuries will never heal properly at this rate...

Riza Hawkeye walked towards the said man who had been on his usual perch, before the grave of an old friend. 'Brigad-- umm, Roy-san... you shouldn't have walk around too much by yourself! Your injuries--'

Roy Mustang looked up and turned towards Riza, his usual smirk gone and his face pale. 'You don't have to worry too much on me... you know that?', said the man. Riza smiled at him, pinching the side of his cheek as she got near enough to do it. Even with that eye-patch, he is still looking very adorable in her eyes...

'Yes... I know, but who else would in turn take care of you if I was not around? Silly...', she scolded him lightly as she dragged the man back to the infirmary. Both of them stopped as Hawkeye felt Roy's silent gesture to wanting her to stop. She glanced at him as Roy had remained, staring blankly towards the floor.

'Enough...'

Riza looked at him, puzzled as Roy looked up towards her. 'I had enough... laying about, doing nothing. I wanted to resume my job... I wanted to--'

'Find him? Do you still had high hopes that Edward might still be alive--?'

'Don't you--?', he replied back, as Riza saw again the look of forlorn helplessness in the eyes of the young general. Riza sighed as she tightened her hold on his hand. 'Me too... but with no more information as to where he could be, we might as well did nothing..', said Riza as she tried her best not to sound too harsh.

But Roy understood what she was saying... he really did. It was just that...

He slowly lowered himself so as to rest his face onto Riza's shoulder. Suddenly, his mind started replaying the faces of the people that he once knew. Alphonse... Winry's parents... her accusing stares... Maes... Edward.

'--it hurts so much...', Riza heard those sentences roughly as she comforted the latter, silently...

'I know...'

--

Roze and Grandma Pinako turned around suddenly as they caught Winry about to leave the house, carrying a duffel bag on her back. 'Where are you off to?, asked the elderly woman as Winry turned towards her with a look of determination. 'I'm going to Central!', she said as Pinako nodded. 'It's about Ed, huh? Then, what will you do... if you still can't find him?'

Winry shrugged. 'I don't know... But I will continue looking, nonetheless...', she answered deftly as she went out of the house. Pinako kept quiet as Roze rose and followed the girl outside.

--

'Are you... serious about this?'

Winry smiled weakly towards her as Roze received her answer. 'All that we can do is to move forward. He always said that before. Anyway.... Ed had promised to me. I will never let him break it.', said Winry as she continued walking towards the trainstation.

Yes... regardless of the result that we might get, we will continue forward...

Until we find that answer...

|TBC|