Goodbyes! The Locket Makes an Appearance

"You WHAT??" Winry had cried, dropping the stick onto the beach. We had been playing X's and O's in the beach's sand with sticks when I had told her. "Yeah....I think that I like Ed. He's funny, he's good looking, and he isn't mean to me. I get really happy when I'm with him. So does that mean I like him?" I had asked, totally new to the subject of liking-someone. Winry smiled, then looked down at the sand. "Well, I'll get him to like you too! Then you guys can kiss--just like in the grownup movies!" Winry exclaimed, throwing a stick up into the air. "Then," she'd said, walking around the beach, acting out her words, "You'll grow up and he'll ask you to be his wife!" Then she ran around gathering stones and pebbles. After, she threw them in the air, humming "Here Comes The Bride". I giggled. "Then! Then you'll have little kids! Then I can design clothes for all of them!" she said. I smiled. "Okay! You'll make clothes for all of them!" I had agreed.

 

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The next morning, it was raining. "Just my luck, huh?" Ed had asked. I laughed. "Well, we'll try again tomorrow. Or later, if it clears up," I said, trying to sound positive. "Right," he'd said, "Tomorrow."

Al was still admiring the crystal I had gotten for him. "You must really like it, Al, to be staring at it so much," I commented when he held it up into the small sliver of sunlight the room was getting. "I really do. Thanks again Koda!" he said. I sat next to Al on the sofa. "Al....where do you think you'll be a year from now?" I asked. He looked down at me. "Well, hopefully, if Brother and I look hard enough, we can find the Philosopher's Stone, and use it to get our flesh back. Hopefully, in a year from now, I'll be in my own body again. That's where I'll hopefully be in a year from now," he answered. I sighed. "Philosopher's Stone? What's that?" I asked. Al looked at me. "It defys the laws of modern-day alchemy. Basically, it can make us do the impossible," he answered. "Alchemy...." I had repeated. "What's that?" I had asked a minute later. Al sighed. "I can't explain it. Ask Ed. He'll tell you," Al answered as he went back to admiring the crystal. "Are you just ignoring me?" I asked, joking. "No! Of course not! It's just...Ed's the prodigy, not me."

"Ed? Can I ask you a question?" I had asked. Ed was sitting on the sofa, moping about there being nothing to do. "What?" he asked lazily. "What's alchemy?" I asked. He stared, then smiled. "Come with me. I'll show you."

 

He took me to the raining backyard, and by raining, I mean POURING! "Why are we out here?" I asked. "Shut up and you'll find out," he said. Then, he looked at the ground and found a stone the size of a doughnut on the ground. "Perfect!" he said. He took the rock and then clapped his hands together. "Watch and learn!" he said as he placed his hands on the rock. All at once, a bright flash of light filled the backyard, and I found myself scared and naseous. When the light dissapeared, what I saw surprised me. In place of the rock was a radio, looking brand new. "Ta-daa!" he said with a smile. "How did you...?" I asked. "Alchemy. That's what it is. Taking one thing and creating something of equal value out of it. Equivalent Exchange. Ask Winry for a book on it. She probably has one," he said as he pat my shoulder and went inside. The rain pasted my hair into my eyes, but I could still see it. The radio. That was truly amazing! I picked up the radio and held it close to my chest. Ed created a radio from stone...he truly was a prodigy.

 

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The rain let up alot that afternoon, making it only a slight drizzle. "Wanna go now? It's not as heavy as it was earlier," Ed said. I shrugged. "Why not? I'll get my umbrella," I answered. As I reached for the umbrella in the back of my closet, my heart stopped and my stomach twisted up violently. Winry's voice played in my head:

 

Are you sure it's only that?

 

I calmed myself down, forcing myself to swallow the vomit that had already traveled halfway up my throat. "Okay, I'm ready," I said after I grabbed my umbrella. "We'll be back later," Ed told Grandma as we walked out the door. The umbrella wasn't opened until we reached the marketplace, where the rain began to pick up. "See anything that looks good?" I asked Ed. He kept looking at the small stores set up, and he'd shake his head no. When we arrived at a small store with silver pieces set up, he stopped. "That looks good," he said. "What? A piece of chopped off steel? Really?" I asked, looking closer at it. His golden eyes sparkled. "Yeah. If I get that, I can use alchemy on it to make it something else," he said. I sighed. "But....oh well.....alright, how much?" I began.

 

$6.00.

 

After I paid, Ed examined it carefully. "What can I make out of this?" he asked, turning it every other way to see what he could do. "Why don't you make into a locket?" I asked. He looked at me, curious. "Locket....not a bad idea, actually. Thanks," he said. I nodded, then looked down at my feet.

 

Are you sure it's only that?

 

Yes, I was sure. I felt nothing right now. Nothing at all.

 

"You okay? Koda? You've hardly said anything," he said. I snapped out of my trance. "Huh? Oh, yeah," I said. He sighed. "Well...thanks for taking me. I think a locket is a really good idea," he said. I nodded. "No problem. It's my pleasure."

 

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The final day the Elric brothers were here was the saddest. Winry and I didn't want to see them go, but Al and Ed both said that they had important matters to attend to, and we made them promise on a book of Auto-Mail repairs that they'd visit soon. "I promise!" Ed said. "I promise I'll return!" Al had said. I looked at Al and Ed and waved goodbye. "I hope it's not forever," I said. Ed shook his head. "Even if it feels like it, it's not," he said. I nodded. "Oh, and..." he said, pulling something out of his pocket, "....I wanted you to see this before I left." He pulled out a silver locket that was shaped like an oval. It had a beautiful design on the front. "Wow! That's amazing! You made that out of your piece of steel?" I asked, holding the chain of the locket in my hands. "Yeah. Thanks to your idea, I finally got something to remember you and Winry by when I'm far away," he said as he stuffed the locket back into his pocket. I smiled. "That's really cool. Good job Ed," I said. Then I turned to Al. "Take care of the crystal, and yourself. Just because you're a soul stuck in a suit of armor doesn't mean you can't get hurt. Be careful!" I said. He nodded. "I will," he said.

 

I don't know what happened, but my muscles moved me without my brain telling me to. I wrapped my arms around Al's cold body in a hug. "Take care, okay? Promise me you'll take care!" I said through tears. Al seemed surprised, and I could feel Ed's mouth gawking open in surprise at what I had just done. Then, Al laughed nervously and hugged me back. "I will. I promise," he said. Then, I let go, wiped my eyes, and ran to the bathroom, where I got sick. When I came back, I saw Ed shaking Winry's hand. "See you around," Ed had said bluntly, extending his hand out to me. I wiped my eyes. "Y-Yeah. Y-Y-You t-t-too!" I sniffled, giving him my clean hand. He shook it, then smiled. "Don't cry. We'll be back. And remember," he said, just before he shut the front door behind him:

 

"I have your locket with me."

Reviews

[State of Grace]

AW!!!! They should have stayed longer!!!! And Koda should have hugged Ed too!... even if she was covered in puke... O.o

[Luna Northstar]

AWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why couldn't he take Koda with him?? I mean, I know its dangerous, because the dude with the scar is trying to blow Ed's head up, and then theres Homunculi, and there s that scary serial killer dude.... and then theres- but, you know they could still make it work!!! LOL