In the quiet town of Resembool, the sun began to set behind the distant mountains, casting a warm golden hue over the fields. Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, stood in front of his childhood home. His golden hair shimmered and his automail arm clinked slightly as he moved, a constant reminder of the price he paid for his pursuit of knowledge. While the town was peaceful, Edward felt a storm brewing inside him.
“It’s been so long since we’ve been home, isn’t it, Al?” Edward said, turning to his brother, Alphonse, whose entire being was encased in a suit of armor, a shadow of the boy he used to be.
Alphonse nodded, his voice echoing from within the metal shell. “Yes, Brother. But home is just a place. What matters is what we’ve learned along the way.”
Edward leaned against the wooden railing of the porch. “But what have we truly learned, Al? We’ve lost so much… those who loved us, our bodies… and we keep searching for a way to fix everything. But is it even possible?”
As the darkness of the evening crept in, the memories flooded back—his desperate attempt to bring back their mother, the disastrous consequences, and the vow they took to reclaim what was lost.
“Remember what Roy said? ‘Sometimes, what we seek isn’t out there, it’s in here,’” Al replied thoughtfully, placing a hand over his chest plate as if feeling for something within.
Edward sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, but it’s hard to stay hopeful when every solution feels so far out of reach.”
Suddenly, a voice interrupted their contemplation. “You boys back in Resembool to reminisce or have you got something in mind?” It was their old friend, Winry Rockbell, with her sandy blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her smile was familiar and warmed Edward’s heart.
“Winry!” he exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. “We were just talking about… you know, life and stuff.”
Winry laughed lightly, stepping back to inspect him. “You need to stop moping around. You’re not that kid anymore, Edward. There’s a whole world out there waiting for you to explore.”
Edward smiled sheepishly, but the shadow of doubt remained. “Yeah, but I think the world has its own ideas about what I should be doing.”
“You can’t let your past define your future, Edward. You’ve accomplished so much—more than anyone could imagine!” Winry encouraged, her unwavering belief in him shining through.
As the night sky settled, they sat on the porch, reminiscing about the adventures they had, from their early struggles in Ishval to their battles against homunculi. But there was still a heaviness hanging in the air, a lingering sense of loss.
“You ever think about what it would be like if we could just start over?” Edward asked, staring into the distance.
Al answered, his tone contemplative. “Sometimes, but… then I remember everything we’ve gained through our struggles. It makes us who we are.”
Edward chuckled sadly. “Yeah, I guess that’s true. If we could just have Mom back, everything would be okay…” But as he said it, he caught the look on Al’s face—a mix of pain and understanding.
“Brother, what if we stop looking back and start looking forward? There’s still so much to explore and do!” Al suggested, his eyes lighting up.
As dawn broke the next day, the trio set out on an adventure. This one was different; it wasn’t about chasing a philosopher’s stone or battling foes. Edward yearned for answers about their history, about their father and how he had led them to this path of pain.
They traveled to a distant town where they heard whispers of an old alchemist who knew their father’s secrets. Upon arriving, the townsfolk spoke of a hermit living on the outskirts, a man shrouded in mystery and rumored to have knowledge of lost alchemical truths.
“You think he’ll know anything?” Winry asked, clutching her wrench tightly, half excited, half anxious.
“He has to,” Edward replied, a mix of hope and skepticism in his voice.
After a long trek through the forest, they found the old man’s abode—a run-down cabin filled with restrained but potent chemicals and ancient tomes scattered around. They knocked, and after a moment, the door creaked open.
“Who dares enter my sanctuary?” The hermit’s voice was rough but curious.
“We seek answers,” Edward bravely spoke, stepping forward.
“Answers?” The hermit cackled softly. “Answers come with a price. What are you willing to sacrifice?”
Edward clenched his fists, feeling the weight of the past. “I’ve sacrificed enough… but I want to know the truth about my father.”
“The one who ran?” The hermit’s eyes narrowed. “He walked a dark path, boy. Be careful what you wish for.”
With those ominous words, the conversation unfurled, with tales of betrayal and knowledge. They learned about Hohenheim’s experiments and the reason he left—a sacrifice for the greater good and lesser evil, but at a heartbreakingly heavy cost.
“He condemned you both in the pursuit of unattainable ideals, Edward, yet his love for you remains,” the hermit explained, wisdom and sorrow radiating from his words. “Understand this—each action in alchemy creates a counterbalance. For every gain, there must be a loss.”
Their hearts sank as they listening, the shadows of their childhood wrestling with the harsh reality they faced now.
Edward stood at the edge of the porch of the hermit’s cabin, staring into the trees. “Why did he leave us?”
“Because,” the hermit replied, “he saw there was no other way. You both were never meant to be bound by fate that would trap you here. The truth is— your path is your own, separate from his.”
“Then what do we do now?” Al asked quietly, crushed between his brother’s quest for answers and his own desire for closure.
The hermit smiled gently. “Live. Create your own realities and understand that the pain shapes you. You will always carry your brother’s memories.”
As they left the cabin, walked among the trees and made their way back home, Edward felt lighter yet heavier at the same time. Like an anchor was lifted but still held close by nostalgia. It had not fixed everything, but the shared journey brought them closer than before.
Back in Resembool, as twilight intertwined with memories under the stars, Edward leaned against Al, who grasped his automail hand tightly.
“Brother, about our father…” Al began, but Edward shook his head gently.
“It doesn’t matter anymore, Al. We’ll forge our own paths. Just us against the world. At least we have each other.”
And in that moment, the weight of the past began to ebb, letting hope bloom like the stars illuminating a darkened sky.
Their adventure to seek the truth had ignited a fire in their hearts—the realization that despite their pain, they had each other, and with every step forward, they remained steadfast in their resolve to reshape their destinies, leaving what was behind in the shadows of their embracing past.