Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Set in Stone ❯ Mysterious Departure ( Chapter 10 )

`Til the Sun Shines

 

Chapter Ten

Mysterious Departure

 

`Life is like an onion: You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.'

Carl Sandburg

 

The group after Ed seemed to be falling into a pattern, make an attack, and then leave be for a while. And it had been a few weeks since anything had happened, but still Mustang wasn't letting the guards off, much to Ed's annoyance. “I can look after myself.” He grumbled.

 

“Yes, I can see that, considering what's happened with the past two attacks.” Mustang replied, to which Ed had no response, merely offering the lame excuse of: `I was asleep both times'.

 

However over those few weeks, Ed had found something to occupy himself with while they had no work to do. And the others occupied themselves, making bets, on what Ed was making. Each day he'd bring in a lot of wood or metals, and smash them into shapes, or carve them into shapes. With the wood he carved, he often painted black or white. When asked what he was doing, he merely replied. “I'm finishing what I started at Winry's.” And he was, he had had the things he'd picked out at her house, brought to his house, seeing as he wasn't allowed to be sent out on missions, or in his words: do anything fun.

 

The day came however when he had no equipment with him. “Hey Ed?” Fuery asked. “Where's your stuff.”

 

“It's sad that to entertain yourself you must watch Fullmetal make stupid little nick-knacks.” Mustang commented. Having just returned from his morning stroll and taking his place at his desk, glaring at the paper in the corner that was in a pristine pile.

 

“I've finished.” Ed replied simply, ignoring Mustang's comment. He tended to do that a lot.

 

“Well who won the bet?” Breda asked.

 

“None of you, you're all broke.” He replied. “Because Hawkeye bet none of you would get it.” There was a collective groan around the room at this news.

 

“Well if it wasn't anything we guessed, what the hell was it?” Havoc asked.

 

“A piano.” Ed said with a grin. “It's an instrument; you all said you wanted to see my musical talent, so I made my favourite instrument. I still need to tune it though.” He added. (1)

 

“I've never heard of it.” Mustang said disinterestedly.

 

“You wouldn't've.” Ed replied. “It's a whole other-world thing.” They'd all come to the agreement that when he began talking about the technology there, that it was too confusing to try to understand. However, when the opportunity to see one of the products arose, of course they wanted to see it.

 

“Can we see it?” Fuery asked.

 

“Sure, why not?” Ed said stretching. “Come over tonight, I'll have it entirely finished by then. We can have dinner or something.”

 

 

“It's…uh…interesting.” Breda commented at last. Ed laughed.

 

“That's what I said when Alphons first showed me it.”

 

“What is it?” Al asked, he had also joined the group, along with his wife, who was expecting the birth of their child anytime now. Ed gave him the same answer he'd given the others.

 

“C'mon I'm starved, let's eat something.” He said, bringing out a lot of food. And then devouring half of it.

 

“Where'd you learn to cook?” Fuery asked.

 

“Germany was going through what they called a `depression' after the world war.” Ed explained. “Food and work were scarce, if you didn't know how to stretch your money and resources, than you'd go hungry. Which was a problem because I eat so much.” He joked.

 

“World war?” Mustang questioned. Ed nodded.

 

“I got there a few years after it had finished. The whole of Europe basically declared war against each other. On one side there was Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Turkey, then on the other there was Britain, France, Russia, and Italy joined them later. I didn't learn too much about it, but I believe it was started over a long-time standing feud between Germany and France over land. The thing turned into a full-scale war. Hence the name World War.” Ed explained. “”Course Europe's only a small corner of the world. So I don't know where the name sake arose. It was supposed to be `the war to end all wars' but the way Hitler's running Germany now; I wouldn't be surprised if another broke out. Not to mention I heard theres trouble over in Asia as well.” (2)

 

“There's another war?” Al asked. Ed nodded again.

 

“Germany seems to like bloodshed. Hitler's practically declared war against the Jews. Like they did anything.” He said bitterly. “Nobody else in the world seems to realise the predicament Germany's in though. They've all decided to let it be our problem, and let us solve it on our own. Idiots.”

 

“Who're the Jews?” Havoc asked.

 

“They're like Ishbalans; it's a religion, Judaism. Actually now that I think about it, the whole thing reminds me of what happened in Ishbal. The military's taken over the country, declared all Jews the enemy, and then began attacking them. Putting them in concentration camps, they're doing it to anybody they don't like, Jews, foreigners, gays.” He looked up at them all, the silence was rather awkward. “But let's not talk about that because it's depressing and awkward.” He declared. “Pass the potato.” When they had finally finished dinner, and relaxed a bit; Fuery asked Ed to do whatever you did with the Piano. So he did. (3)

 

None of them had ever heard anything like it. Ed was right, the instruments in their world sucked. His fingers glided over the black and white wooden keys, each that he'd carved himself, with practiced ease, and the noise that each produced was beautiful.

 

“Wow,” Al said when he finished playing a few songs. “Our music does suck.”

 

“He means to say that was beautiful.” Michelle smiled.

 

“Thanks.” Ed said, blushing slightly, “I normally don't play for an audience. Well not for people I know anyway.”

 

“You could get rich, making that.” Breda said, remembering his comment at the bar the other night.

 

“Yeah, but I'd have to teach all of them to play. It's taken me years to learn all that. You'd have to learn to read the music, tune the thing, the accents, and different symbols.” He laughed. “I can't be bothered, teaching that to a whole lot of kids, maybe a few, but not heaps.”

 

“Can I have a go?” Fuery asked. Ed looked humoured.

 

“Go ahead; don't expect it to be easy.” After a few minutes of listening to Fuery whacking on the keys uselessly, they all got bored with it, and spent the rest of the night, relaxing and partying and whatnot, until the only four left were Alphonse, Michelle, Mustang and Hawkeye.

 

“We're gonna head off, late nights aren't good for the baby.” Al announced, making baby noises at his wife's stomach.

 

“I feel another Hughes approaching.” Ed said. “Nobody get him a camera as a present.”

 

Alphonse just stared blankly at him. “You're just jealous because I've got a beautiful wife, and you and Winry are too stupid to get together.”

 

“Stop saying that!” Ed said, flushing red. “I'm not stupid, it's difficult.” He argued.

 

“Yeah, yeah, but if you just did something, the both of you wouldn't be so miserable.”

 

“I'm not miserable.” Ed retorted, pulling at his hair. “Ah he's just like Hughes, I can't outtalk him either.” He ended up leaving shortly after. “So…” Ed said after a moment's silence, with the couple.

 

“We'd best be heading off as well.” Mustang said. “Show up for work on time tomorrow, Fullmetal.”

 

“Show up for work on time.” Ed mocked. “Do you ever relax, and just go with the flow?” he asked. Mustang ignored him, standing up and saying his goodbyes. Hawkeye followed him to the door. She turned while he continued down to the car.

 

“Could you teach me?” She asked. Ed looked confused. She gestured towards the Piano. His face lit into a grin.

 

“Sure thing. You're going to have to learn to read the music before you play though. I'll make some stuff for you tomorrow.” He said, waving her goodbye, and closing the door. He sat at the Piano again, sighed, and began to play.

 

 

The next week went by rather quickly, Al started fretting that the baby was going to pop out any time. It was annoying. Just as Ed said he would, he began teaching Hawkeye how to read music and play a few simple songs. She came by a lot. And he began making her a piano of her own. After another few weeks of her lessons, she was able to play quite a few songs and he'd finished her custom instrument. He noticed, as the weeks passed, that the size of her belly was increasing considerably, and guessed that the conversation he's had with Havoc about a baby had been right.

 

No more attempts were made on Ed's life, and reluctantly, Mustang was convinced to lower the guard numbers to one, though he was convinced that's what they were waiting for. And so a fight broke out about Mustang paranoia, which turned into a fight about Ed's height, or lack thereof, and an all round awkward silence for the rest of the day.

 

“Hello Ed.” Hawkeye greeted, as she showed up for her regular lesson.

 

“Hey Hawkeye.” Ed responded, inviting her inside.

 

“Just call me Riza.” She said.

 

“Hawkeye it is.” He replied. “Riza's just too…weird.”

 

He offered her a drink, or a snack. It was the same routine almost every time she came over. She'd politely decline, and they'd stop being so civil and act like the old time friends they were. It was stupid really. They went through the same basic stuff, Ed'd test her on something he'd given her to look at and she'd play a piece he given her to learn.

 

He was showing her how to play a new song he'd remembered near the end of the lesson. She was sitting at the chair, he was leaning over her, somehow, his hand on hers, showing her which fingers pressed which keys. “I've got it.” She said, and corrected the mistake she'd made.

 

“You're a quick learner.” He complimented, standing back.

 

“Thank-you,” she replied. “You're a good teacher.” Ed scoffed lightly, but she ignored him; they both knew he was good. “I like the sound it makes, and the way the keys feel under my fingers.” Ed could remember himself saying that to someone once. He blinked, and suddenly, he was the one sitting at the piano instead, someone else over his shoulder.

 

“You're a quick learner.” His teacher praised.

 

“Oh I know,” Ed replied cockily. “But having a good teacher helps. I like the sound it makes, and the way the keys feel under my fingers, even if it's only on one hand.” He said, brushing his real hand over the polished wood.

 

“Don't worry, Ed.” The tutor replied. “One day, you can do it with both of your hands, I know you will.” He turned to look at her, the candlelight illuminating her face, and complimenting her features. He smiled softly and turned back to the piano.

 

“I learnt that other one as well, I had -” Whatever he'd meant to say was cut off by lips meeting his own. He broke the kiss. She looked at him confused.

 

“Don't you -” she began. Ed sighed. “I don't care,” she whispered, “how dangerous your lives are, I just…” she took his hands into hers, and pulled him out of the chair, kissing him once again, and he kissed her back. “…want to be a part of it.” He pushed her against the wall lightly, and she began undoing the vest he was wearing, deepening the kiss. They broke away, panting for air, and the vest fell to the floor at their feet. She hesitated at the top button of his white shirt.

 

“I can't…” he said forlornly, lowering her hands.

 

“Why not?” she asked, staring at him with her vibrant emerald green eyes, her voice was demanding. His gold eyes locked with hers.

 

“I can't give you what you want.” He answered as she searched his face. “There's…there's someone else…”

 

She huffed. “She's not here now.” She kissed him again, forcefully, and he couldn't help but respond. “You can't say you don't want this.” She whispered.

 

“I can't…give you…what…you want.” He repeated through kisses. But she pulled him into the room, shutting the door with her foot.

 

“I don't care.” She replied. “Humour me…” she fell onto the bed with him. “If only for tonight…”

 

“Ed?” He was pulled from the memory by Hawkeye's concerned face. “Are you ok?” she asked. He nodded and offered a reassuring smile.

 

“I was somewhere else.” He checked his pocket watch. “You'd better be heading home, it's getting late.” He saw her to the gate, and she drove off. He said goodnight to the guard at the door, shared a glance that said the neither of them thought he needed to be there, and headed inside. He shut the door and leaned against it, sliding to the floor. “What am I doing?” he muttered to himself. He let out a tired breath, “I've been doing this for too long…” He stood up, and made a coffee, handing it to the guard outside, who accepted it readily.

 

It was beginning to get colder in the streets of Grand Central, and the occasional showers they got left the streets cold and wet. Ed didn't like winter much; true, it didn't get nearly as cold as in Germany or England, but the cold was enough to make his shoulder ache and he could never touch his skin with the metal. But after almost 3 years without a working arm, he wasn't about to complain.

 

 

As the weeks progressed, Ed was seen less and less. Mustang had finally agreed to let the guards off, and began sending Ed out on missions again. Not that there was much to do. Mustang's unit dealt with the more serious stuff, and to be frank, apart from the trouble Ed had caused, nothing serious had happened. So he inspected towns, checked out complaints. Police work basically.

 

However, he had been distancing himself more and more. It began with an occasional decline of an invitation to go out, to it being rare for them to get him to accept it. He locked himself up in his house, the only people he really saw was Hawkeye for her lessons, and Alphonse and his new niece.

 

He'd been there for the birth of his brothers' daughter, and he had to say, that they'd done much better that time than when they'd `helped' deliver Elicia. Alphonse and Michelle had decided to call the child Nina. They'd told him they'd picked out the name before he'd even returned, so Al was shocked and excited to hear that the little girl Nina, may have played an important part in the namesake. It gave him hope that maybe his memories weren't lost forever, simply concealed.

 

“I say, we rock up at his place, and surprise him.” Breda had suggested when they were discussing the issue; to which all the males had readily agreed. Hence the reason Al, Mustang, Havoc, Breda, Falman and Fuery were all standing at the gate of Edwards' house later that night.

 

They walked up to the front door, laughing at Fuery's expense about the incident so many years ago, where he'd been afraid of the mysterious warehouse 13. “Shutup!” Fuery exclaimed, red in the face. “At least I didn't start a huge investigation about a chicken bone!” he retorted. Mustang shutup pretty quickly. Alphonse chuckled to himself at their antics, and raised his fist to knock, the sound echoing throughout the empty streets. When he didn't get an answer he knocked again, and when no one answered him, he turned the doorknob smoothly and opened the door to the dark house.

 

“Brother?” He called, stepping into the house, followed by the other lot. Havoc and Breda placed their bags on the kitchen bench, the glass inside clinking gently. “Hello?”

 

“Maybe he's out?” Fuery suggested, looking down the hallway.” Al looked through the bedrooms while the others checked the study, kitchen and dining room.

 

“I suppose he's out, like Kain suggested.” Al said with a slight frown, when all the rooms had been proven empty.

 

“I found these.” Havoc said, emerging from the study, holding two white envelopes, glowing in the moonlight. “I can't read the names,” he said, squinting at the scrawl. “Why are the lights off? Oh.” He added as Falman walked over and flicked on the light switch, instantly flooding the room with brightness. “Alphonse, Mustang.” He read out, handing the letters to the said people.

 

“Is it just me, or did this place have more stuff last time we came?” Al asked, looking around at the now lit room. He turned at the sound of ripping paper, and saw Mustang tearing open his letter. His face darkened. “What?” Al asked at the same time as Falman and Fuery.

 

“It says here, that Fullmetal's been sent on an undercover mission.” The relatively silent room filled with noise as they all exclaimed about that. Mustang held up a hand for silence. “But I never approved any mission.” He said. “We're going to HQ to check this out.” The group followed him out of the house, Al making sure to lock the door behind him.

 

“What're you thinking, Colonel?” Havoc asked a trail of smoke wafting behind him.

 

“Not anything any of you want to hear.” Mustang replied, clambering into the drivers' seat and waiting for the others to squeeze into the back. He shared a glance with Al, who was sitting next to him in the passengers' seat, still clutching the unopened letter in his hand, and drove off into the night, soon arriving at the large military building.

 

They all followed Mustang through the halls, as he twisted and turned in the maze-like building. “Falman!” A voice called out. Falman turned and saw Scheiska standing looking at him. “What's going on?” She asked, moving towards him.

 

“Well, we just went to Ed's house, but he's supposedly on some undercover mission none of us heard about. But the Major General didn't approve the expedition so we're all trying to find out what happened.” He explained quickly.

 

“What?” She exclaimed, “Ed told me that the Major General was alright with it.” Falman looked in the direction Mustang and his group had disappeared to. “I need to grab something, then I'll tell you what I know.” She said, ducking into her office and emerging a few seconds later, shoving a piece of paper in her pocket.

 

“C'mon,” Falman said, running down the halls. “We'll get further with you than some rookie officer. What do you know?”

 

Mustang turned another corner, arriving at the desk he'd been searching for, only to find, the person who worked there had retired for the day. “Yeah that'd be right.” He muttered.

 

“Sir!” He turned to see Falman and Scheiska running towards them.

 

“What is it Falman?” He asked impatiently. “Hurry up so I can throttle Fullmetal, more trouble then he's worth.” He muttered under his breath. Scheiska pushed her glasses up against her nose and spoke nervously.

 

“He was sent on an undercover assignment across the border, sir.” She said.

 

Mustang nearly twitched. Nearly. “Across the border? I never authorised this, how do we know it's not a setup?” he asked.

 

Scheiska fidgeted nervously. “Actually Ed told me that you were fine with it, so I signed the documents and processed them.” She said.

 

“How did he even find out about it?” Mustang asked, running a hand through his hair.

 

“He volunteered sir. He asked for a mission that might take him away from Central for a while, so when it showed up on my desk, I offered it to him, and he took it.”

 

“He asked for it?” Al exclaimed. “When's he expected back?” Scheiska looked down and pulled the sheet of papers out of her jacket pocket.

 

“I got this, just before I saw you guys down the hall, I was actually coming to ask you about it. Normally an undercover mission goes for as long as it takes to complete, or until the soldier is pulled out. They have no contact with anyone that might give their cover away, except for the officer they report to.” She explained.

 

“Normally?” Al questioned.

 

“This here is a report from Ed, saying that when he got there, the culprits had already been caught. He left Friday evening.” She added before any of them could ask.

 

“But that's not all that came with the report.” Falman added, taking the paper from Scheiska and giving it to Mustang. “That there…it's his letter of resignation. For security purposes, his location wasn't revealed, and I'd say he's long gone from there by now anyway. We can't say for sure where he is. And if he waited until he was away to send his resignation, I don't think he's planning on coming back any time soon.”

`Life's tough! Get a helmet!'

 

(1) I can't help myself! The piano's my favourite instrument and it's kinda sorta random but it's sorta kinda related to the story lol.

(2) I'm sorry if this information's wrong, I wouldn't know we did Vietnam in Sose not any of the world wars.

(3) Its sorta like the whole Ishbal thing with the exclusion of the Ishbalans cause of their religion and stuff.

 

Muahahahaha, what is going on? Muahahahahaha. Muahahahahaha. Muahahahaha. Okay I'm done now, it wasn't that evil, but I just ate toffee. Mmmm toffee, I made it myself. It's just sugar and water and you dissolve the sugar and then let it boil until it's golden but not too much because I burnt the first lot. Dodododododo. Also there's like a random line in there somewhere that I can't get rid of so sorry if it's annoying. Well here's another chapter, and I think I was gonna write something else here but appear to have forgotten so anyway. Should I like, raise the rating on this thing?

 

Phe: I love funny moments, I was watching rove the other night and me and my friend went to go and see snakes on a plane a couple of days before hand because it had such a lame name. But I swear to god (and I know I shouldn't) I have never been so terrified in my life watching that movie. And rove was talking about it and they're always making fun of stuff I love it, and they were like due to popular demand we've created a sequel to snakes on a plane. And they were on this paraglider, rove and Pete, and there were spiders and then rove's like `enough is enough, that's it; I have had it with these mother effing spiders on this mother effing glider.' Lol I was pissing myself.

 

Nihonjin_AEC1990: Thank-you so much, I'm horrible like that, I'll really like a story but I'll have no idea what to put in the review lol. Al's wife's really just an OC there so that he's not lonely, I could try to put something in, but I don't know what, did you want anything specific? Thanks for all the nice comments, too bad the fonts didn't work out lol.

 

Uniasus: Hehe homework never counts, I never do it anyway *shifty eyes* lol in fact I think I'm meant to be doing something for my English assignment now. Crap that's due on Wednesday. Lol.