Capture! A Stroll Down Memory Lane

A Chapter by Emunah June.

With his things in hand, I ran out of the building and into the cold night. I had no idea where Ed and Al may be, so I decided to keep it with me until I saw him again. As I ran, I wondered if he'd think I stole it. With my feelings out in the open again, this wasn't what I wanted. It was far from it. I wanted Ed to understand me, to know how I felt.

Pain and all.

I kept his coat tight in my hands. This watch....I was ready to protect it with my life. I may not like it, but Ed does, and that's all that mattered.

The melody was playing.

I stopped moving and looked at the coat. Had I accidentally open the watch? I was gripping it pretty tight, so I assumed that I had.

Imagine my surprise when I opened the coat and the watch was closed.

The melody wasn't coming from the watch. So where WAS it coming from? I looked all around me. I couldnt see anything or anyone. The melody was getting louder. And louder. And louder. Until it was right behind me. I turned around, but no one was there. The melody was no longer beautiful, but haunting and frightening. "Who's there? Who are you?! What do you want from me?!" I screamed. I held the watch close to my chest. The melody was so loud it was buzzing in my ears. "What do you want?!" I cried. Then, a hand placed itself onto my shoulder. My heart jumped up into my throat as I whizzed around.

"What's wrong? It's just me."

"Edward..." I said, letting out a sigh of relief. The melody was gone now. "Oh...I....I....I'm sorry. I guess the night spooked me," I said. Ed looked at me, his yellow eyes glistening. "Well, everythings okay now....is that mine?" he asked, pointing to the pocketwatch. "Oh....yeah it is. The Colonel told me to give it back to you," I said. Ed smirked, and then he laughed. "The Colonel? Since when did he care about him--I mean, me?" he asked. I gave Ed a funny look. "That was a weird mistake. But whatever," I said.

That's when I noticed.

There was already a chain coming from Ed's pocket. The same chain that belonged to the watch in my hand. "Oh...Ed, this can't be yours. You already have one," I said.Ed looked at me, his face turning angry. "No, that has to be mine. Can I see it please?" he asked, extending his gloved hand. "Ed, you already have one. This isn't yours," I said flatly. Ed grit his teeth. "That is definetley mine! Let me see it!" he cried, and I stepped back. HIs face twisted in anger, and the something happened. A bright flash of light greeted my eyes, and Ed was no longer standing there, but a boy with green hair and wearing a black top and black pants. "Give me the watch, brat! Or I'll kill you!" he screetched. My heart thumped in my ears. My fingers gripped onto the watch tighter, and my instincts made me run.

And I did.

I ran as fast as I could, but the boy was faster. Soon, he was in front of me. "I'll let you go home if you just give me the watch!" he screamed. I shook my head. "You can't have it! It's not yours!" I replied as I ran faster.

Everything moves slower when your scared.

I felt as if I wasn't moving at all. My heartbeat was all I could hear. The boys footsteps behind me where thunderous as he inched closer....and closer....and closer. I ran as fast as I could. But then my greatest fear showed itself.

The watch slipped from my fingers and hit the ground.

I turned around to face it. The boy was getting closer, and he smiled as the watch hit the ground. I fell onto the ground and grabbed the watch before he could. I stuffed it into my pocket and turned around to begin running. Before I could, the boy grabbed me and threw me. Yes, you heard me. He threw me clear into the sky.

My face hit concrete.

Blood was trickling from my mouth. My legs weren't working, and the boy was walking closer. Conciousness wavered, and I kept falling asleep. But I'd only be asleep for a second or two. I tried to stand, but it was too hard. I had noticed I had lost Ed's shirt, ponytail, and coat during my run. But the watch was still in my pocket. Soon, the boy grabbed my by the shirt collar and raised me to his eye level. "Fine then, don't give the Fullmetal Brat's precious watch! I'll just kill you and take it from you!" he said as he threw me back onto the ground.

I had no weapon. I had no powers, unlike Ed, who would have probably used alchemy, just like he did back at the Rockbell house. I felt the boy kicking me in the back. I screamed as more blood came from my mouth. My nose was starting to bleed. "Who are you...? Why do...you want Ed's pocket....watch so bad?" I asked. The boy picked me up by my collar again. "Me? I'm Envy. I'm a homunculus, and I need the watch to lure the boy to my trap. He'd travel all 4 corners of the globe for that thing!" he exclaimed. Then, he raised his hand to my face and took the blood that came from my mouth and licked it. I felt myself wanting to get sick.

Homunculus.

" I....uh....fought with a homonculus. That's pretty much it. And I lost. Badly."

"You....you're the one that broke Ed's arm and leg. It was you that hurt him!" I cried. "Ding ding ding! The stupid girl finally catches on! Well, it doesn't matter, now does it? You're going to be dead soon!"

With that, he turned his whole arm into a large spike. "I'm going to pierce your heart with this! But...I'll let you live if you hand over the pocketwatch," he said calmly. I felt the pain and fear surge through me. There was no way I was going to let him get Ed's watch.

No way.

"I...I can't hear you too well. Can you bring me closer to you and repeat that?" I asked. My plan was moving. Just had to get a little worked up...Envy jerked me so close to him that I could smell his breath. "Give. Me. The. Pocket. Watch. Is that clear enough for you, stupid?!" he screamed. I smiled. "Yes. Yes it was!"

With that, my Tailor's Child came in handy. I got sick all over him, and he let me go to wipe his shirt off. Luckily, I didn't get sick once he threw me to the ground. Taking this opportunity, I ignored all pain and began to run again. I ran until I thought I couldn't anymore. Scheizca's house was just in sight....I ran, and just as I got to the front porch, my legs went out from under me, and I fell. "Ow! No....this can't happen! I have to....get up..."I whispered. My arms were too weak to move. I couldn't get myself up. "Scheizca! Scheizca!" I screamed. The lights were on...I knew she was there! "Scheizca help me! I can't get up! Scheiz--" I began before Envy placed his hand over my mouth. "Ahh. I see. You build the boys AutoMail, huh? Well, what better way to lure him to my trap then by taking his pocketwatch AND his friend?" he whispered to me. Then, a brilliant light flashed. I screamed into Envy's palm.

No!!!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

The smell of medicine and wine was hefty when I woke up. "Ooh..." I said as I rubbed my head. Where was I? I stood up and began to understand where I was. I was in a large ballroom sort of place. I began to walk forward, than hit my head on something. I was stuck in a glass tube. "Hey...where am I? Let me out of here!" I screamed as I banged my fists onto the glass. Then, I began to notice every little change. First, my hair was tied up in a ribbon. Second, I was no longer wearing my uniform, but a red dress with a big white bow.

Red dress with a big white bow...

"Is this....the dress from when I was little?" I asked myself. To my surprise, I recieved an answer. "Yes it is. Do you like it? I tried to make it fit you perfectly," said a woman's voice. I looked around, and out of the shadows stepped a woman with short black hair. She had these eyes that cut me to the core. "You're comfortable, I hope?" she asked silently. I shook my head. "No! Let me out of here! Now!" I cried. The woman stepped forward to reveal her elegant dress. She was absolutely beautiful. "Now darling, maybe I would have if you used your manners. Be happy, for I let you keep your precious watch," she said. I looked over to see Ed's pocketwatch sitting in the corner. It was scratched, but was okay nonetheless. I rushed over to grab it. When it was safely in my hands, I clicked it open and let the once again beautiful melody fill my glass tube. "Don't worry, you wont be in there for too long. I can feel that the Edward is on his way. Is he looking for you, or his watch? I guess we'll find out," she said. I looked at her. "Who are you? What do you want with Edward?" I asked curtly. She smirked. "My name is Dante. And what I want with Fullmetal is none of your concern."

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

"We can build! We can build!" I cheered the day Winry and I had built our first item ever. We had built a metal cogwheel, the kind where if you place more together, they rotate together when they turn. "All that metal.....it was made into something useful," I said outloud, fingering the wheel. Winry smiled, wiping the oils off her face. "Yeah. Thank goodness we work well as a team, huh?" she asked. I nodded. "Do you think.....I'll ever be as useful as this?" I asked myself. "What?" she said. I turned and faked a smile. "Oh nothing. Let's go show Grandma!"

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

The tube seemed to get smaller and smaller as time went on. I didn't speak to Dante any further, but kept Ed's pocketwatch in my lap. There was no way she was going to get ahold of this. And that Envy character.....what was with him? It was when I thought of Envy that I spoke to Dante. "Are you...a homunculus too?" I asked. Dante stared at me with her piercing gaze. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. You decide," she said. I looked back at the watch. It was closed, and I was deciding whether or not to open it. The melody seemed to put my mind at ease. Why did it feel so familiar? I was trying to trace it, but it was too tiring. "Dante...I....my stomach," I said after a while. placing my hands on the glass. "Your Tailor's Child, right? Get over it," she said, and with that she turned and dissapeared to the back of the ballroom. I gulped. Then I fingered the watch some more. Why was this so special to Ed? It made no sense. I held it close to my face, and examined everything. I sighed, then opened the watch and reread the saying:

DONT FORGET OCTOBER 11

That date....why was it so important to Ed? What had happened then? I needed to know. I Then closed the watch and gripped it tight in my hands. "What is it about you that makes Ed take such good care of you?" I asked the watch. I sighed, then placed the watch on my lap again. Suddenly, I felt something press into my dress. "Eh?" I gasped. I lifted the pocketwatch, only to see a secret compartment had opened up. It was wide, but small. I flipped the watch over to see what was inside. Out fluttered a note, a photograph, and then...

....my locket?

The locket Ed had transmuted with his alchemy fell onto my lap along with the note and photo. I lifted the locket to get a closer look at it. It was still oval shaped and still had the beautiful design on the front. Ed really carried this with him? I thought maybe he just said that to make me stop crying. It sparkled even in the dim light. I smiled. He had actually kept it with him! And to think he kept his word! I then directed my attention to the photo and the note. I decided to pick up the photo and turn it over.

What I saw pushed the tears out of my eyes.

It was a group photo of when we were kids. In the photo, Winry was reaching out to the camera with a daisy in her hand. Alphonse was smiling, holding up a crown of flowers he had made. Then there was Ed, who was the closest to the camera, smiling wide and making the peace sign. I was clinging onto Winry's arm and looked like I had been laughing. I remembered that day...

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

"A Valentine's Day crown for your mom?" I asked Al, who was weaving some flowers together. "Yeah! She'll love it! Since it is Valentine's day, I'm going to make it myself, and not take the easy way out, like I expect Ed will," he had replied. Winry sighed. "I already gave Grandma my gift," she said with pride dripping out of her tone. We were still young, I believe we all (except for Al, who was the youngest) were 7. Al was 6. "Speaking of which, where is Ed?" Winry asked, brushing some hair out of her face. "He's helping Mom clean out the house. He'll be here soon though. Our house isn't too dirty," Al said as he stood up. "Finished," he breathed, and then he held it up into the morning sun. I smiled. "I don't know what to make for my Mom and Dad. I don't really know what they like," I said outloud. Al looked at me, then grabbed my hand. "We can look for some pretty rocks or something. Then Brother will show you how to use alchemy to make it into something cool!" he said. At the time, the word "alchemy" held no wonder for me. It was almost like Al hadn't even said it. I didn't know what alchemy was, like I do now. I smiled. Just as we were about to leave, I saw Ed and his mother. "Hey! Hey you guys!" he called. Al blushed and let go of my hand. "Hi! Come down here!" Winry called as she waved to him. I waved too, but shyly. Ed and his mother (Trisha Elric) were coming. Ed was running, but Trisha was walking. "Hello you guys. I was wondering if you'd like to take a group photo together?" she asked as soon as she reached us. Ed grabbed Al in a playful brother-ly hug and smiled. "Yeah! We can all be in it!" he said. Trisha laughed. "That's what a group photo is Ed. Now let's all sit down and I'll take the picture," she said as she pulled out her camera. But everyone was still figety and excited. When we all sat down, I sat as far away from Ed as possible (I was still reeling in from the blow to the heart). Finally, Trisha said "On the count of 3, I'm going to take the picture. Ready? One...two..." Right before she said 3, Ed ran up to the camera and Al jumped up in the air. I was startled, so I clung onto Winry's arm, laughing. The picture snapped, encasing the memory of the moment.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

I rememberd that day very well. I wiped my face, looking at the picture over and over again. I smiled, the tears spilling over and over. Finally, I sniffled and picked up the note. I flipped it open. Very neatly, there were dates and descriptions written. I read them all:

June 12, 1963--Day I was born.

June 13, 1964--Day Alphonse was born.

May 27, 1969--Day I met Winry.

September 4, 1969--Day I met Koda.

September 2, 1971--Day Mom died.

September 6, 1971--Day Al and I got a teacher to learn more about alchemy.

October 4, 1971--Day Al and I tried Human Transmutation--and Al lost his body and I lost my arm and leg.

October 11, 1972--Day Al and I burned down our house and began our journey.

November 5, 1975--Day I became a State Alchemist.

February 30, 1978--Day I...

He had stopped writing after that. I felt myself smiling, which was highly unusual. I scanned the note again and read October 11. So he didn't want to forget when he began his journey? I'm sure. According to these dates, he'd been running around alot. My eyes then widened when I read the date he became a State Alchemist. 1975! If I wasn't mistaken, Ed was only 12 at that time! I felt jealous, but at the same time incredibly proud of him. He had done so much so silently...

Suddenly, a knock on my glass made me look up. Dante was staring at me. "What are you looking at?" she asked. Quickly, I stuffed the note and photoback into the compartment of the pocketwatch and shut it (weird, but once it was shut, it looked as if it wasn't there anymore). I stood up and showed her the watch. "This. Just this," I said. Dante's eyes became slit, and she stared at me hard. "Very well. Come out here so we can talk like real women," she said as she opened the glass door. I did as I was told, and waited for the perfect opportunity to run away. Dante said "follow me," and then turned around and began walking. Now! I turned the opposite way, but what I saw stopped me in my tracks. A stubby man was standing behind me. "You're not Lust....I want my Lust....I want my Lust...." he said. Then he looked angry. "Tell Dante I want Lust!" he screamed. "I forgot to tell you, Miss Koda, that if you try and run away, Gluttony here will eat you. So please, follow me and we can talk," Dante called from up ahead.

prev chapter

next chapter

© 2011 Emunah June.

Author's Note

I made up the dates, so if any FMA fans are reading this, then don't take those dates into account. The ONLY date that is real is the one in the watch