Longing

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of its characters. I wish I could claim Ed for myself though. Hmm.

# # # # #

LONGING

The grass rustled in the gentle breeze, tickling Winry's legs as she walked across one of the small hills that surrounded Rizenbul. Alphonse had run past her, his arms spread wide open and laughing the carefree laugh that Winry envied so much. Alphonse stood still for a moment, seemingly hypnotized by the sunset in all its glory. And then he turned around, his eyes big and round with awe, and said, "Winry! Look at that sunset! Isn't it beautiful?"

Winry gave a small laugh and approached Alphonse. "It is, isn't it?" she said, her voice small and trembling. A sudden rush of sadness swept over her, and tears had begun swelling in her eyes. Her heart gave a dull ache, and without warning, Ed's smile flashed in her mind's eye. She turned away from Alphonse, who was still admiring the majestic colors of the sky.

It has been 5 months since Al came back and Ed vanished to nowhere. Vato Falman, the warrant officer under Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang's command, escorted Al to Rizenbul from what he said as a building whose interior was filled with alchemic arrays that meant nothing to him. The explanation Falman tried to provide was anything but an explanation, for it was mereley a statement full of opinions and questions that left Winry's head spinning. There was only one thing she fully understood: Ed was gone, and they didn't know where he went, or more importantly, why he went away.

Winry wiped her tears and breathed in deeply. Everything has been much too painful for her. Since Ed had gone, she felt empty and hollow. There were times when an overpowering melancholy would come without warning, and she would sink to the ground and bury her face in her hands, crying so much as though she wanted to run out of tears to shed.

Be strong, Winry. Everything will be alright.

"What?", Winry said, abruptly shaken out of her thoughts. She spun around to look for the person whose voice she just heard. Winry was utterly shocked. That voice was..

That voice was Ed's.

# # # # #

Ed tossed in his sleep as the dream unfolded in his mind. In the dream, a heavy, impenetrable darkness surrounded him, and in the infinite blackness his body felt insubstantial.

"Where am I?" Ed said, his voice hardly breaking the silence that weighed around him. Ed groped for something to hold in the darkness, but in vain.

Then suddenly, a dim light appeared from a distance. The light steadily grew brighter, and in the darkness a weeping girl with light blonde hair was revealed. She was holding her face in her hands, and quietly she said, "Ed.. Where are you, Ed? Ed.. come back.."

Ed immediately recognized the girl as Winry. There could not have been any other.

"Winry," Ed murmured as he walked slowly towards Winry. He put his hands lightly on her shoulders, and into her ear he whispered, "Be strong, Winry. Everything will be alright."

But just as Winry was beginning to look up at him, her image suddenly rippled like water, and then it began to evaporate. Panicking, Ed tried to hold on to her, but the more he tried to do so, the more he was being pulled off in the opposite direction.

"Winry!" Ed said frantically. She was gone now, but Ed still felt the irresistable pull hold on to him. And then he felt himself trip on something from behind, and he began to fall.

"Winry! NO!"

And then Ed woke up. He sharply drew in air and remained in shock for a few moments. When he had recovered, Ed wiped his brow and then looked around the room. He was half-expecting to see Winry, or Al.

But of course no one was there. Winry and Al were well beyond this side of the Gate, and to Ed they seemed infinitely far away, though all it really took was to cross over, but unfortunately it wasn't that simple. Since he arrived in Munich, Ed played with the puzzle of getting back in his mind, but to no avail. Simply no answer came. Now he was beginning to lose hope that he could ever return.

Ed looked at the ceiling, and silently he whispered, "Winry..."

# # # # #

Winry was certain that she heard Ed, that her mind was not playing tricks on her. She was confused, afraid, and expectant, all at the same time. She was spinning around and around frantically, restlessly looking for him. By then Al had noticed, and then he said, "Winry, what are you doing?"

Winry stopped, and then took her time to calm down. What happened just now?, Winry thought. Winry knew that Ed was somehow there during that moment, and at the same time wasn't. She was severely disappointed, and utterly bewildered.

Winry heaved a deep sigh, and turning slowly to Al, she said, "I'm sorry Al. It's nothing. I just thought...I thought I heard your--your brother." Winry could no longer contain her tears. She sank to the ground, and then she felt Al's arms wrap around her.

"Don't cry Winry. Don't cry," Al said comfortingly, but even his own voice was shaking. Soon he also began to cry, and both of them wept quietly until night had fallen.

~

# # # # #

I just want to clear something before I end this item: I DO NOT ROOT FOR WINRY AND ED AS A COUPLE. This is because I am obsessed with Ed and I am a hopeless fangirl and I want him for myself. Anyway, I just wrote this thing because it's fun seeing Winry in pain. WOOT.