Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Times Never Forgotten ❯ Complete Human Transmutation ( Chapter 8 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Winry walked inside of the room Edward was in. Ed turned his head as the door squeaked. After a little moment of silence, Winry finally spoke. “Edward you need to eat SOMETHING. Ever since Kate died you haven't eaten a thing. Come on… Granny's making stew.”

“No,” he said. “I'm not eating if Kate doesn't.”

“It's been three days,” Winry turned angry as her eyes filled with tears. “For goodness sake, Ed! She's dead! She's cold, hard and dead, okay?! You have to move on!”

Edward found no reason to argue. He stared at Winry with a sad expression, making her stop and realize what she just said. “I can't move on,” he said quietly, “She's the only one I ever loved and cared deeply about. All the years I thought I would never love anyone the way I did her. I still love her as if she were alive.” He swore under his breath, trying to catch his tears.

“Ed… I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to… you know.” said Winry sitting at the foot of the other bed. “I know what it feels like to loose someone you love. My parents were murdered when I was just a little girl.”

“Winry I KNOW. Did you have a fiancé? Did you have a child with someone? Or maybe even CARED?” he asked with his backside facing to her, laying and holding Kate. “You don't even care how I feel. I bet you didn't even do anything the night she died.”

“Ed that's not true!” she exclaimed standing up. “Kateland was like a sister to me! How could I not do anything?”

Ed rolled his eyes. “Go away. I don't need anything from you so why'd you even bother?” he sighed and rested his chin on Kate's shoulder. “Just go away, you can come in here when I leave.”

“Leave? To where?” she asked.

“It's none of your business.”

Winry sighed. “Okay…” she began to walk out of the room. She put her hand on the door knob and was about to open it when she stopped. “I'll save a bowl of stew incase you change your mind.” Ed didn't respond. Winry finally opened the door and shut it behind her.

Edward kissed Kate's cheek. “Tonight,” he said with a faint voice, “I'm gonna see those beautiful blue eyes again.” Edward put his lips on her and began to speak, his lips brushing hers as he spoke. “I promise…”

Moments later, after an afternoon of silence, everyone was in the living room. No one had spoken for quite a while, in sympathy for their loss. Footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. It was Ed, with Kate in his arms. Her body hung limp as she was carried to the first floor.

“And just where do you think your going?!” Pinako shouted. “Don't go ANYWHERE with her! Edward, people are going to think you're a stalker, carrying a dead girl like that!”

Edward walked on by.

“EDWARD ELRIC, YOU GET YOUR REAR BACK IN THIS HOUSE!” she shouted, making the baby cry. She spoke softer. “You have to watch over your son. We'll figure out what to do with Kate later. You're not taking her out of this household!”

“She's MY wife I can do whatever I want!”

“She's not your wife you're not even married!”

“I think I'm old enough to make decisions of my own! I don't need some old hag to tell me what to do!” Edward stopped, staring at Pinako with greed. He walked out of the door, carrying his loved one along with him.

Further into the town of Resembool, Ed stopped by their old house. Ashes blew in the wind as the old burnt memories stood before them. Edward squinted his eyes, remembering what he had done to his mother. Was he about to take that risk again?

He had made an oath before. Never again would they perform a human taboo in Alchemy. But this was an urge; he needed to see her. He was lost in his own thoughts, sitting there blankly with no expression. A soft breeze came along and gently waved his hair along with the wind.

“Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return,” he said to himself out loud. “I'm willing to sacrifice anything,” he stiffened his fists, “just to see her smile again…” He closed his eyes, bringing himself out of his daze. “I have to,” he said, “This is more than just `love'…”

Ed journeyed further into the pile of ashes, which had mostly been washed or blown away from weather. As he ventured deeper and deeper into the soot, he stepped on something that made a slight crunch. He gasped slightly and looked at his feet, lifting his foot to find a small half burnt piece of paper beneath. Carefully, avoiding Kate being dropped, he picked it up, getting black dust smeared on his fingers of his left hand. It was a small photo, showing him, Alphonse, and Kate back when they were just small children. They were standing out in the field, Ed in between Kate and Al. Ed made little bunny ears out of his fingers on them both, arms around each other.

Ed smiled, recalling the moment. He carefully folded the photo and set it in his pocket. He looked at Kate and frowned. The frown turned to a grimace. Was he a fool? He new that there was never a complete human transmutation in the history of Alchemy. Why did he believe that a very strong love bond and memories would bring her back? He suddenly remembered the day Kate died:

“Kate… What about the gate?”

“I won't go in just yet…”

Ed gasped, eyes widening. He ran to the old stairs of the cellar and carefully walked down them. He stopped suddenly, viewing the old transmutation circle and the mess from the last taboo. There were bits and pieces of flesh lying in the middle. Edward stared sadly, recalling the taboo. He set Kate upon an old rag sheet in the middle of the circle. “If I'm about to do this,” he said to himself, “I can't be surprised at the results…” he sighed. “But I'm going to take that risk no matter what.” He stood up slowly, unbuttoning his shirt. He slid it off his shoulders, standing put for a moment. He grabbed an old knife off of the desk, which was piled with faded letters addressed to Hoenheim Elric. Cutting his fingertips, he winced in pain as the oil from his chest soaked in the wounds as he slid them along, making strange circles.

The circles were painted with his blood on his forehead, arm, and leg. He painted a seal on Kate's breast bone. “For my life's sake, and for the rest of it,” he said calmly, “bring her back…”

He set his hands on the circle, crying in fear. The swirling light rose up off the ground and made a fierce sound. Before he knew it, he was at the gate. He looked around, terrified. “Where's Kate?!” he asked himself. The gateway to the other side slowly opened, sending black hands out of the doors. They grabbed a hold of him, dragging him inside. He shouted, knowing it wouldn't do any good. He shook violently, trying to shake the little beasts off of him. He blacked out.

“Ohhhhh… My head…” The young man opened his eyes with blurry vision. He rubbed them and his vision went back to normal. As soon as that occurred he gasped. “WHERE AM I?! WH-What is this place, I wasn't here! Wha-” he looked around the unfamiliar room and found himself looking at his reflection: blonde long ponytail, skinny, and bangs hanging on each side. “Is- Is that really me?!”

Sure enough, that was indeed Edward. He had been drug to the other side of the gate.

“EDWARD!” he heard a voice scream. He looked and a young girl ran down the hallway. She ran up to him and embraced him very tightly, knocking the breath out of him. He stood shocked.

“K-Kate-land…” A sob slipped out of his mouth as he wound her tightly in his arms. He cried hardly, holding his wife-to-be.

“I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!!!” Kate sobbed. She sniffed, gasping for air. She sobbed once more, wetting Ed's vest with her tears.

Edward sobbed. “But how- how did you…”

“I was drug, I didn't know what to do-”she stopped speaking and sobbed, burying her face into his chest.

It's okay Kateland,” he said with a smile. He turned serious after a short moment. “Okay, we need to figure out how to get back. Do you have any idea of where we are?”

Kate stopped crying. “We're in a town called Munich. Munich, Germany,” she said.

“Germany?” Edward gasped, “Kate, we aren't in out world anymore…” Kate looked at him with a blank expression. “We need to get back to Amestris,” he said.

“But how?” Kate asked. She was wearing a long dress that was maroon and white. It was laced at the bottom and the collar.

“I dunno,” Ed said hugging her, “but we have to somehow.”

They ran down the hall in a minutes notice; Edward holding on to Kate's hand. He took the lead as he searched for the exit. As they ran in blinding speed, Ed hollered back to Kate, “Okay, first thing's first, we need to get out of this house.”

“But there's guards!” she shouted up at him.

“Then we'll trick them.”

“And the remedy?”

Edward stopped, “We'll run,” he said before taking off running again.

Kate stopped, slipping out of Ed's hand. Ed stopped, looking back to see why she paused all of a sudden. Kate frowned. “Ed…” she said quietly, “How are… we going to get back home? I mean… We're on the same planet but different dimensions. Like a dream…”

Edward lowered his eyelids and sighed. “I dunno,” he said. “And Ed at home…” he said sadly. “If we can't go back then… we won't have our son.” Ed cursed to himself.

“Ed…” Kate out her hand on Edward's back. All of a sudden, they heard pounding down the hallway. In the blink of an eye, they were off running again. They were trying to be as quiet as possible so they wouldn't be caught running through the halls. Kate tripped reluctantly across the hall on her long dress. She swore out loud. “I'm so used to pants!” she shouted before falling. Ed turned around once more and gasped. “Kate?” he said as he ran to help her. They finally managed to find the doorway, but there was a gunshot… then another… screaming.