Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Never Mended ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 3 )

Okay… so here's the dealie-yo. From a link provided on my lj account, I managed to find both Edward's and Roy's height and age. However, there seems to be a discrepancy. On Edward's profile it says that he's anywhere from 11 to16 because he ages throughout the series. Roy's just says twenty nine. So, since Edward is 17 in my fic (if this goes against the movie I'm sorry `cause I haven't seen it) Roy will be 30 `cause we're going to assume that he was 29 at the end of the series when Ed was 16. Also, I have decided that Roy's height of creeping up on 5 ft 7 in (5.67853016666666666666666667 ft give or take a six or two, and more or less exactly), isn't a stately or well rounded enough height for our beloved hopeful dictator of skirt lengths. Pretend he hit a late growth spurt and stands a lovely 5ft 10 and three quarters inches. Ed has managed to make it to a whopping 5'4 1/2”. Go him. That will still leave Roy at not too tall but still a nice 6 and 1/4" taller than Ed (since I just don't think he'd ever out grow him). Again, I apologize for any glaring deficiencies in my story line and welcome criticism and flames. Now on with the story.

 

 

 

Chapter One

 

 

 

Alphonse watched from the window as his brother braved the garden alone for the first time in months. It was hard to believe that Ed had gone from the small defenseless thing that had come through the gate, to this broken shell of a man. For a month after his return, Ed had refused to be in a room without Al there with him. Gradually he progressed to needing his brother just outside of his immediate line of sight, and, finally, to being able to be in the house. Never, never in the few months that he'd been back had Ed ventured outside alone.

 

At first Al had thought that his brother was only afraid that he would be taken away again. As days turned into weeks and weeks to months, he began to fear it was something more. Most nights Edward woke from screaming nightmares, his body straining to fight off unseen attackers. His days were spent as close to his brother as he could get without touching. That was another thing that bothered Alphonse, and what finally made all the pieces come together into a seamless whole.

 

Edward didn't touch him anymore. Ed didn't touch anyone anymore. He refused to spar with Al, didn't allow Winry hug him and flatly rejected Pinako's offer of comfort on the one and only occasion that she'd tried. Any time anyone came near him, Edward shied away from contact like a wild animal.

 

Men were the worst though. In the early days of his convalescence, Alex Louis Armstrong had come to visit the Fullmetal Alchemist. Just the sight of the man had sent Edward into hysterics. The man had left in tears, and it had taken two hours of reassurance before his brother could be coaxed from behind the couch where he'd squeezed his trembling body.

 

Al was quite frankly at his wits end. His brother seemed to be making little to no progress, and there were days when he could be set back to the very beginning by nothing more than an irritated glance in his direction. There was nothing more that he could do to help Edward on his own, but he did know someone who could.

 

He nodded decisively, and strode to the phone. “Hello, Schezka? Could you tell me where I might find General Mustang?”

 

Moments later the man himself was heard as he neared the phone. “No, Maes, I do not want to see the dress that Elysia wore for her birthday again; I saw it fine the last time.” There was a slightly disgruntled sound, then; “How may I help you today, Alphonse?”

 

“It's about…my brother.”

 

“Edward?” Roy laughed. “How is our esteemed Fullmetal One today?”

 

“I think that brother was raped.”

 

There was an ominous pause. “What?”

 

Alphonse shivered slightly and looked over his shoulder. The General could sound positively menacing when he wanted to. Nonetheless, Al chose to answer. “I think that brother was raped.” He repeated.

 

“What makes you think that? Surely you haven't come to this conclusion just because he wants to be near you? Alphonse—“

 

“No!” Al glanced furtively around the room and lowered his voice before he continued. “Brother is different now. He doesn't smile anymore; he doesn't sparkle. Anytime anyone is even a little angry around him, he panics! He won't let anyone touch him anymore. He won't let me touch him anymore!”

 

Roy's eyes closed. The thought that Edward's untamable spirit had been broken tore at his insides. But still… “Are you absolutely sure about this, Alphonse?”

 

“As sure as I can be without coming right out and asking him, which I'm not about to do. He's not healing, Roy, and I don't know how to help him anymore.”

 

Roy could hear the silent but plaintive help me help him tacked on to the end of Al's entreaty. He sighed and carefully schooled his voice though his expression slipped into absolute agony for an instant. “Very well. I'll be there in three days. Prepare him.”

 

“Thank you, general. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

 

“Don't thank me yet, Alphonse. There may be no way to heal Edward's spirit.”

 

“You will succeed, General Mustang, you will.”

 

Roy just wished that he had same belief in himself that the younger Elric had. He gently hung up the phone then allowed his head to drop heavily to his desk. I'll save you Edward Elric, just as you once saved me. This will be my equivalent exchange.