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When the Cherry Blossoms Bloom	By : RyokoBlue Category: Fullmetal Alchemist > Het - Male/Female Views: 9498 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 20
- 21
Disclaimer: I do not
own this and I am not making any money off this. It is the property of Hiromu Arakawa, Funimation
Summary: When faced with Love's difficulty, can three people
locked in its hold push aside their fear for the sake of it? Sequel to Feel Me,
Shame Me, Heal Me.

A/N: Sorry, everyone
that it took so long.� The reasons why
will be explained after the story.� So
enjoy!

When the Cherry
Blossoms Bloom
Episode 21� Say What
You Need to Say.

Brian noticed that the sun had
gone down, and since it was technically still his and Anna�s birthday, he
wanted to have some more fun. The thought of swimming at the lake entered
his head. Oh how great it would be to sneak there without his mother and
swim like a big boy, he was after all five years old now. Of course no
one should go swimming by themselves, its always more
fun if there was someone with you. He looked to his sister who was trying to
read her alchemy book, he could tell she was struggling a little bit but with
Uncle Alphonse�s help with the reading, she would get it in no time.
Brian really wanted to go swimming so he had to make sure Uncle Alphonse was
out of the way.
And with a stroke of good luck,
Alphonse stretched his arms up over his head announced what he had to do. �I�ll
be right back,� Alphonse said with a smile. �Nature calls.� He joked as he
walked out of the kitchen and heading towards the stairs and for the
bathroom.
This was it!
He got up from his place on the
kitchen floor and hurried over to the swinging door and poked his head out of
the kitchen. What was his mother and Mr. Roy doing? He
wasn�t sure if calling him Daddy was acceptable yet, even though his mother
told him that Mr. Roy was their father. He supposed he could ask Mr. Roy
that later.
Noticing his mother and Mr. Roy
fast asleep on the sofa, he giggled quietly to himself. Running back over to
his sister, he leaned in close to her ear. �Mama is sleepin��
hurwey, let�s go to da lake. We�ll
be back befo� bed time.�
�But Mama�ll
get mad at us.� She informed in a no-nonsense tone
�We wunt
tell her, otay?� Brian grinned sneakily. �We just
swim for a widdle bit den we be back befo, Mama and Mr. Roy wake up from der
nap. Otay?�
It sure sounded like a really good
idea and Anna�s serious expression turned into one as sneaky as her brother�s.
Giggling, she nodded. �Otay.�
Of course that little voice in the back of her mind had her wondering if it was
a good idea, considering it was already starting to get dark. Nah! It�ll
be okay. It would be just a quick swim, she always
loved the lake, water especially.
The two of them snuck quietly passed
the sofa where their mother and Mr. Roy were fast asleep. Brian quietly
gripped the handle of the door and as light as possible turned the knob and
pulled the door open. It squeaked! And that noise caused the twins to
turn back towards the adults, making sure they were still sleeping.
The twins stopped moving all
together and was as still as stone, the air eerily quiet, as their little
hearts pounded hard in the fear of getting caught. Roy snorted loudly in his
sleep as Winry groaned and nestled into the soft cushions of the couch.
Realizing that Mama and Mr. Roy
were not waking up, their actions made the twins both smile and they tip toed
from living room and out the door. The closed the solid wood ever so
quietly behind them.
�We did it!� Anna cheered.
They squealed and giggled, jumping
up and down in excitement. Hand in hand the twins took off in a run
towards the lake. It was going to be such fun! All that water! The twinkling
stars above. The delightfully warm weather, it was the most perfect
evening for swimming.
They practically raced to the edge
of the lake and tore off their shoes in a fit of giggles. They waited not one
moment as the jumped into the water and started splashing about. No one would
hear them out here and they could be as loud as they wanted.
�It�s cold!� Anna squeaked as she
continued to splash in the water. Swimming back and forth appearing much like a
little otter, she twirled in figure eights lazily on her back and used her arms
to just float about lightly.
A great idea flooded into Brian�s
mind, and he snickered. �Les hab a contes,� he suggested.
�Oooh, wha kin?� Anna
turned over so that her feet could touch the soft squishy dirt beneath, she smooshed her toes into the soft mud and it felt wonderful
to her.
�Les swim out to da middle and see who can touch da
bottom of the da lake da fastes!�
She was so much faster than her
brother, Anna was sure she was going win this contest for sure! �Otay!! I gonna win!� Anna taunted
and immediately started out towards the middle of the lake. The further she got
the steeper the bottom of the lake and before she knew it the bottom was no
longer beneath her feet and she was dog paddling. She could see Brian and he
was gaining on her quickly and then in a flash he zoomed right past her. No!
This could not happen. �You no win, Brian. It gonna be me!� She grunted and
using her little arms she tried to speed ahead of him
�I made it first.� Brian cheered
and flapped his arms up and down in the water, laughing so hard in his first
victory.
Anna pouted, she hated losing. �My
legs were gettin tired, I let you win.� She sniffled
with her nose in the air. �Les go back now.�
Brian gasped, �But what �bout da secon part of contes? We hab to swim to the
bottom of da lake, see whos
da fastes.�
�But I don wanna,
inymore.� She complained. Her legs and arms really
were getting tired right now. She wanted to go back to where she could feel the
bottom of the lake.
�You afra,
you jus gonna lose. Cause I�m bedder dan you.� Brian sniggered and without waiting for her dove
under the water.
That did it! There was no way Anna
was going to stand for that. She was going to beat him this time. �No! no, I�m beddar!� Taking a really
deep breath, she quickly dove under the water.
Anna zoomed down to the bottom
where there were many, blackened dead trees and other bushes from many years
gone by. Some of the gnarly limbs from dead bushes and trees were a
little scary as they seemed to reach up for her. She had to get away from those
frightening tree branches. She twirled and swim
upwards. She could see Brian in the moonlight as he was already half to the
surface. He was going to win! No, he couldn�t win! She had to win!
She tried to push hard off the flooring
when something caught the hem of her dress, she tugged and tugged but it wasn�t
coming loose. She glanced down and a branch that resembled an old witch�s hand
had hooked itself around the back of her dress. She continued to pull at her
dress but it wasn�t coming free. Raising her head towards the surface, she was
realizing that she couldn�t call for help. No air, no help. And the
pressure in her throat and chest started to build as she couldn�t continue to
hold her breath for much longer.
Brian splashed up from the at the surface. �I win!� he gasped in the fresh air deep
into his lungs. He almost thought he wasn�t gonna make it. �Did you see, I won!� he giggled and splashed around in the water
like a maniac while he looked around. There was no sign of his sister.
�Anna?� He turned in a circle
taking in the area. �Anna, wher are you?� His heart
slammed harder. �ANNA!!� he splashed around, diving and looking for her. But
the bottom of the lake had gotten too dark to see anything. He lifted
back up to the surface. �ANNA?!�
There was a sudden rough splashing
in the water and he turned around and saw Uncle Edward. �Anna, where�s Anna?�
Brian asked his, tears filling his eyes.
�What are you doing out here?
You�re mother is going to be very upset.� Edward said grabbing Brian by the
ear.
�No, no can leabe!
Anna! I can�t fin her!� Brian said in a panic trying to get out of Edward�s
hold. �Did you no hear me! Anna is in da wadder!�
�Wait, what?� Edward stopped
pulling him towards the edge of the lake at the panicked words that left the
little runt�s mouth.
�We were habing
a contes to race to da
bottom and she no come up!�
�Oh, Shit!� Edward�s heart sank
and he pushed the little boy towards the edge of the lake. �Go get your mother!
Now, I�ll find Anna!� H
Brian reached the edge of the lake
and not even bothering with his shoes took off like a shot back towards the
house as Edward dove under the water.

The little boy�s heart continued
to jump up into his throat as he raced onward, his feet pounding on the wooden
planks of the porch as he thrashed through the door with a
strength no five year old should have. �Mama!!� he shouted jolting the
pair awake on the sofa. �Mama!!� He cried
As Winry came to full alert and jumped
up from the soft cushions as Roy looked on in worry. Not really knowing
what was going on.
Winry approached her son and the
first question in her head was why was he soaking wet? Then anger etched onto
her face. �You two were at the lake again, weren�t you? I told you not to go
there. �Where�s your sister?� She said, her tone
angry.
Tears cascaded down Brian�s
cheeks. �I don know! We was swimmin�
and she no come back up.�
Nothing could describe the fear
that erupted onto her face as she paled instantly. Not even a second passed as
she took off, racing out the door.
Roy was hot on her heels; the only
thing in his mind was a cold fear. Anna, his daughter... He needed to get
there before the worst happened. Why were there always deadly circumstances
surrounding everyone that he loved? Back when Winry was kidnapped and
almost sold into slavery, then Maes� murder, and now his little girl might be
drowned. He shouldn�t have fallen asleep on the sofa! He should have been
more alert. He should have been a better father! He should have been here the
whole time! He never should have broken his promise to Winry. He should have
come back. None of this would have happened if he had not been selfish
�Anna, ANNA! I�m on my
way!� Roy was pleading for her to be safe, �please be all right.�
�Edward could see her! There she
was, lying in a mess of weeds and branches from an old dead tree. He dove
quickly and grabbed a hold of her cold body which her clothes was completely
tangled in the mess of the hard dead branches. Letting her go, he quickly
changed tactics and clapped his hands together and light sparked around his
hands while planting them on the lake�s bottom. A large hand made of rock shot
straight up out of the water with the dead tree, little girl and him up into
the air.
How long had she been under water
for? He touched every where he could to find a pulse. Water droplets drizzled
from his bangs falling onto her face. Even though he was soaked, he could feel
sweat from nerves prickling his skin as his heart twisted. He couldn�t find� no wait, there. The pulse at the side of her neck� it was
barely thumping, but there was a small sign of life.
�Edward!� Winry shouted from the
lake�s edge and he looked over at her in panic.
Edward this wasted no time,
clapping his hands together once again and planting them firmly onto the rock
hand he had created. That same familiar light and energy left from his hands
transforming the hand into a bridge that led all the way to where Winry and
Mustang were standing. He picked up Anna holding her tightly to him as he ran
across the bridge towards them.
He jumped down to land before
them, and he could see Brian run up behind his parents
Setting her gently down onto the
grass as Winry was hovering near, leaning over. Her heath thumping wildly,
�Please don�t be� please don�t be�� She couldn�t even voice it, it was just so
wrong. Her eyes were fixated on the still form of her little girl on the
ground. She could hear Brian vaguely in the background crying as he tried
to push past his parents to his sister
That�s when Roy scooped him up and
turned away from the scene, holding tightly onto his boy. He didn�t know what
to do, there was nothing he could do and he felt completely helpless. He had
never felt so weak and useless than right now. The only thing he could think of
was try to keep Brian safe, to keep him close and try to comfort his child who
couldn�t stop his tears.
�Dis my
fault, I did it!!� Brian cried and Roy crushed his son to his chest tightly
�It�s not you fault, Brian.� Roy
tried but the boy shook his head, burying his face against him.
�I neber
should hab come her wit her,� Brian sobbed hard.
�Shh, no, no.� Roy ran his hand through his boy�s
hair, trying to soothe him. �You didn�t do anything.�
Her pulse was faint, but it was
still there and Edward scratched the back of his head trying to think of
something that he could do. He turned and glanced at Winry who was clutching
her hands tightly to her chest. Her normally pretty blue eyes that were always
so full of life were streaming hot tears that continued to race down her cheeks
in thick streams. Her breathing was so hard and erratic that he figured she
might lose consciousness. That�s when it happened! An idea popped into his
brain and Edward�s head snapped up towards his best friend. �Winry!
I saw something once while Al and I were traveling, it
was how to help someone after they�ve swallowed tons of water. I think I can
help.� Kneeling down at Anna�s side, he began the possibility of saving her
life by using that technique, what was it called again? Oh, yes! It was called
mouth to mouth resuscitation.
In what seemed like no time at
all, Anna choked and came to life. She was coughing and hacking up the water
that had been in her lungs. She was breathing harshly, but at least she was
getting air into her system
Tears continued to run down
Winry�s cheeks as she nearly jumped onto her little girl, wrapping her up in
her arms so tightly, that she might crush the little body. Never again would
she ever let this little girl out of her sight again.
�Ma�ma,� Anna
breathed hard, �Sowey.�
Roy�s
eyes closed tightly at the sound of his daughter�s voice. �Thank goodness.� And
a heavy sigh of relief escaped from within him. Still with Brian held tight in
his arms and went to his daughter and Winry�s side.
Winry cried, burying her nose into
her daughter�s wet hair. �My little girl,� she gasped out quietly. �My little
girl��
Together the four of them started
back towards the house, with Edward following quietly behind him. He was
thinking quietly to himself that if he hadn�t been heading back from town when
he had that Anna would most likely be dead right now. He saved her
life. The daughter of that bastard General Mustang! Well he hated the General�
but maybe the kids weren�t so bad. Sure, they played pranks all the time on
him, but that�s just what kids do. Perhaps he had gotten attached to the little
monsters himself. Perhaps he would be just a little more patient with
them� Nah!

****

After Winry had put the twins to
bed she left Roy up there as he
wanted some time alone with the twins. She was sitting back on the sofa
cradling her face in her hands, silently sobbing to herself. This had been the
worst experience of her life, nothing would ever compare with the almost loss
of her child. Seeing her almost lifeless cold body lying in the grass, Anna�s
usually pink cheeks had been chalky and cool to the touch. Her heart
wrenched as the weight of what had happened continued to attack her and she
just couldn�t stop the tears from flowing.
�Winry?�
Edward�s voice came from the stairs and he saw her straighten up and wipe at
her eyes. He slowly walked over to her and came to stand before her. �Winry,
I�m sorry.�
�Ed, don�t be sorry.� She lifted
tired, red eyes to his golden gaze. �You saved her life, Ed. You should be
proud.� Winry sniffled. �I�m so thankful, Ed. I don�t know what I would have
done without you.� She said wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. �I
just keep reliving what happened over and over again. It just keeps replaying.�
He sat down on the sofa next to
her. �I�m sorry because you are still hurting over this.�
�I�m a mom, so I�ll probably
always worry and cry over my kids.� She laughed lightly. �But I should have had
an eye on them a little better.�
Gently, Edward lifted his hand
towards her face and using his thumb brushed away the tears staining her right
cheek. �You�re a good mom, Winry. Don�t ever think that this incident is a reflection
of your skills. This literally could have happened to anyone. And come on, the
twins are risk takers. Just look at who their parents are, of course they are
gonna push the limits! Just imagine how they are going to be when they are
teenagers. You are always going to have your hands full.� The corner of his
mouth curved into a crooked, silly grin.
�Ed, I�m so happy you came back
into my life. You always know how to make me laugh and cheer me up.� She leaned
forward and rested against his shoulder. It was so good to have her best friend
back. She always missed him while he was away on his many adventures. Always
had been left behind, watching and waiting for him.
�I�ll always be here for you
Winry,� He wrapped his arms tightly around her at hearing her breathing soften,
�I�� He glanced down at the top of her head, peering at her face. She was
fast asleep. �I love you, Winry.� And he kissed the top of head, cuddling her
close as he leaned back on the sofa, taking her with him so that she was lying
comfortably against his chest in her sleep.
Hearing another bunch of
footsteps, he turned towards the stairs, but finding no one standing there. He
silently shrugged to himself and breathed in the scent of Winry and rested his
chin atop her head. It was a rough night on his best friend. Winry almost
Anna on the very day of her birth, how messed up that would have been.
Thank goodness everything was all right now.
Roy
walked passed the twins bedroom towards his own, he saw Alphonse leaning up
against the wall next to the door of the room he was occupying. �Alphonse?�
�I shouldn�t have gone to the
bathroom.� Alphonse snorted. �I was watching the twins at the time.�
�Don�t start feeling guilty, it
was an accident.� Roy said, patting
the young man on the shoulder who nodded. �This is a nice house, a good place
for the twins to grow up.�
Alphonse�s eyes narrowed in
confusion. �Yeah, it is.�
Roy
pursed his lips and let out a soft breath. Watching what had gone on between
Fullmetal and Winry down in the living room, his decision was made. It was
time. Yep, he was leaving� It was the right thing to do. Edward and Alphonse
would help take good care of the twins; Anna and Brian would be in excellent
hands with them. Roy knew the
moment he got to Resembool that he didn�t fit in here, not in the life that was
built without him. He would just be in the way. Edward, although small
and over the top sometimes, was still a good person with a noble heart.
It was time to let Winry move on with her life.
�Good night, Alphonse Elric.� He
nodded in respect to the young man and went into his room.
Roy
shut the door quietly behind him. He went over to the small desk and from his
belongings pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil and began to pen a note to
his Winry. Writing that he was going to leave early in the morning for
Central City, he realized that Edward was the better one suited for her and to
take care of their twins and to take care of her. Edward was a strong person
and would never hurt her, that he would always be
there for her no matter what. He continued to write that he was sorry for
everything that he put her through, that she had been part of the healing force
in his dark world and for that he would never forget her.
After he was satisfied with his
letter, he readied himself for bed and the longest night of his life.
For, in the morning he would leave for the train station and would never do
anything to bother the safe world Winry had here in this small country
town. This was such torture on his heart and soul, but often the hardest
choices were the right choices.
****
Quietly making his way down the
stairs, the sight of Fullmetal and Winry asleep on the sofa did not go
unnoticed by him. He sat his letter on the table in front of the sofa and
quietly headed to the door. Taking one last look at the inviting living
room he opened the door and stepped out into the crisp morning air.
�Are you sure?� Alphonse said from
the porch which startled the General, who jumped a little.
�Alphonse, I didn�t realize you
were up this early.� Roy said, maintaining eye contact.
Alphonse smiled, but it wasn�t out
of humor. �I�m always up this early.� He eyed the general suspiciously. �Again,
you�re leaving her again. I ought�a deck you.� He
formed a threatening fist.
�Hold you temper, Elric.� Roy
arched a brow. �This time I�m doing the right thing for Winry. Your brother is
the better man for her.�
�Why does everyone think they are
doing what is best for Winry. You two are so stupid. Do you two ever stop
to think about what she wants? Stop pushing your decisions on her, let her make them for herself. Gosh you guys are
selfish! So go ahead, run away.�
�I�m not running away.� Roy
countered in an angered tone, �You forget who you�re talking to.�
�No, I haven�t forgotten.� He
snarled, with eyes blazing �You�re just afraid. Why don�t you stop acting like
a frightened little kitten and stand up and be a man for once! Sheesh, you are hopeless.� Was the last thing Alphonse said
before walking passed the general into the house and slamming the door behind
him.
Roy groaned,
that kid would never understand. He was doing what was right. Winry needed
someone she could depend on, someone who understood her, to be there for her
when she fears the world around her� He felt a strange twinge at the idea that
the man was himself, but he pushed that feeling to the back of his mind.
No! He made his choice and he had to stick to it. There would be no more
arguing with himself on the subject, and with suitcase in hand started off
towards the train station. There was no way he was even going to inform his own
parents of his choice, they would just argue with him over it. And right
now was not a good time to have that argument, especially with his father�
****
The clock on
the mantel chimed and Winry who found herself lying in
Edward�s arms blushed a little, having never been in this type of position with
him. She stretched her arms back while in mid yawn, then leaned forward, �Oh,
what time is it?� Her eyes focused from sleep and for some reason they flew to
the coffee table where there was something for her. It was an
envelop with her name written on it.
Curiosity got to her and Winry opened
the letter. Pulling it from its paper encasing, she began to read it. The
only reaction on her face was that of her jaw dropping open. �What�No!�
She then jumped up from the sofa, much to Edward�s complaining of being too
loud. Winry charged up the stairs to Roy�s room, throwing the door open
she found it empty. Her heart would not stop racing as she then checked the
twins room, a little bit quieter, but still with a force of fury. She raced all
over the house searching for him. Perhaps, he was still outside and she
continued towards the kitchen to check the backyard first.
Winry ran out through the kitchen
door to the world outside where she could see Alphonse, he was sitting beneath
the cherry tree that had barely begun to sprout little green buds. Winry
didn�t have time to be astonished at the so called dead tree that was showing
signs of life.
�Alphonse, you haven�t seen Roy
have you?� Winry asked carefully, she saw him roll his eyes the nearer she got
to him.
He snorted, �yeah, that coward.�
Alphonse stood up from his seat on the grass. �You read his note, I take it.�
�I can�t believe it.� She stared
the ground. �He left again.�
Alphonse was completely fed up!
All their whining and complaining about how life isn�t fair, the noisy tones of
�I can�t trust him�, �she�s better off with someone else�. He listened to this
nonsense for what seemed like forever! Longer than anyone should have to! It
was everywhere he went, even when he went to sleep at night, the last things he
could hear was Winry complaining, or Edward�s rants of how Winry could betray
him like that, considering Edward never even wanted Winry until someone else
was in the picture and then all of a sudden it was, Winry was the one Edward
loved. He really needed to move on and find his own happiness! Yes, even
the General was annoying him. And it definitely takes quite a lot to irritate
Alphonse Elric! He was just so sick of being the only normal one in this
family! �You know. I have had just about enough of all of you. Seriously, you
all need some special help! You�re all friggen nuts!!
I can�t take anymore of this!� He ranted throwing his arms up in the air in
rage.
Winry stared wide eyed and took a
step back, �A�Al, are you okay?� She squeaked in alarm, worried for his sanity.
�No, I�m not!� He slapped his
hands down against his thighs. �What did you expect him to do Winry, honestly
wait forever for you to make up your damned mind?!� He raged, pointing at her
rudely. �You�re constant going back and forth. I�m surprised he lasted as
long as he did with you!�
�Alphonse!� She yelled, wanting to
ring his neck, �Don�t talk to me like that!�
�Oh, he�s not escaping my rant
either, being so selfish and cowardly. I�m surprised you�ve put up with
him. Gods, any sane person would have chucked his ass long ago with all
that he has done to you! He�s manipulated you so badly in the past among the
many horrible things that he has done to you. His ideas of
trying to take over the government for his own selfish desires. Then stuck you with two kids leaving you alone to fend for
yourself. And then when you thought all was okay and you could
have any kind of normal life, Mustang came here to confuse you and hurt you all
over again. And now look what happened, he got what he wanted and left you!
Again! Just took off, not caring about�� He was cut off with a hard slap to the
face.
�You don�t know what you�re
talking about!� She raged at him �You don�t know him! He�s not a terrible
person like you�re accusing him of, Alphonse.� She squeezed both hands into
tight fists at her sides. �He�s a good, noble man who is only trying to do the
best that he can, to be a better person. To be someone we all can be proud of!�
Rubbing his cheek, Alphonse
smiled. And that was exactly the words he needed to hear. He cleared his
throat and stared down at the grass beneath his feet. �So, then what are you
doing?� His calm tone had returned to his normally pleasant voice.
�What, huh?�
Winry�s brow crinkled in confusion as she tilted her head. �I don�t understand�
Alphonse?�
�You just told me how you feel
about him. So why are you holding back now, Winry?� He reached out and grabbed
her hands tightly in his owns. �You were not afraid to stand up for him, not to
anyone. So why are you still afraid to open up.
You already know how you feel. So don�t be afraid to admit it, there�s no
time to be timid.� He watched several emotions cross her face. �Say it, Winry.�
All this hit her like a two ton
brick and Winry gasped, it was true. That was how she felt. She felt so much
for Roy and it was okay to feel it, it wasn�t wrong. The confusion left her
mind as if it had never even been there. All those years that had passed
without him seemed to dissolve and all she could see was a future ahead of her,
a future with Roy Mustang. �Oh my God, you�re right! You�re so right.�
�He left for the train station
early, but it won�t leave here till nine.� Alphonse grinned. �There�s still
time to catch him. �Tell him all you need to� before you never have another chance
again.�
Alphonse was so right, Winry
couldn�t believe it! It was true, she didn�t want Roy
to leave. She never wanted to be apart from him again and its time she man-ed
up and took a chance. It might not come around again. She loved Roy, and
sure it had been rough, but he came here to try and win her affections again,
and without his familiar tactics, he was showing her that he could be an honest
man. So, feeling that he had lost the opportunity to be with her she knew that
he decided to let her go. He really was the most selfless person she had
ever met.
There was no reason to be afraid
anymore, she had to try to take that chance to be happy, to stop shutting
people out because she could get hurt. She had to reach him, she couldn�t let him get away.
�Alphonse, I don�t think we�ll
make it.�
Almost in comical fashion, the
sound of a motor purred to life and Pinako appeared from around the house in
the most amazing converted scooter than Winry had ever seen. It looked a lot
like her old one, but with a few new modifications which seemed to delight
Winry to no end.
�I figured you would eventually
need this, so I repaired it.� Pinako replied, feeling very proud of her
enhancements on this wonderful invention of Winry�s.
�Let�s go, Winry.� He grabbed her
by the arm and as Pinako jumped off the scooter, Alphonse pulled her onto it
behind him, he revved the engine. Winry, behind him, clutched his middle hard
as in lightning speed they zoomed past the house and onto the dirt road heading
for the train station.
Edward ran out the front door just
as he heard the ruckus the scooter was making, just in time to see the tail end
of Winry and Alphonse heading away. Edward sighed deeply, staring down at
the wooden planks in his own grief, knowing the choice that she had made and
that nothing would change her mind. He knew that Winry was chasing after
Mustang, there was no hope for himself now�
Roy could hear the trains whistle
off in the distance and growing closer, he looked towards the direction it was
coming from and saw the big black engine rushing towards him. He stood up
and straightened his appearance, running a hand through his now short
hair. He held the strands just a little bit more than he should have,
remembering when Winry gave him this trim.
He knew he shouldn�t be dwelling
on this idea that he was leaving Winry behind again. The only thing that�s
important is her happiness and being here with Elric boys, they were definitely
what brought her so much joy. It had always been that way,
he was always in the way of her true happiness.
After the other few passengers
disembarked the train and it was refueled, it was time to let the new
passengers on board. The conductor spoke the stops the train would make and Roy
gathered his suitcase up in his hand ready to put Resembool and Winry Rockbell
in his past.
�Roy!�
His brow creased in confusion as
he thought he heard is name being shouted, what�s more is that the voice
shouting his name sounded a lot like Winry. It was all in his head! Damn
it! He really had to get her out of his mind. He was already falling into
some kind of insanity, he just knew it. He stepped forward towards the train,
lifting his right foot and stepping up onto it.
�Roy!� was shouted again and this
time the voice was definitely closer and he knew it for sure, that it was
Winry�s voice. He turned around in her direction, still remaining on the bottom
step of the train. He couldn�t believe it, why was she standing here at
the train station? He was sure she had more important things to do then see him
off. This was wrong, all wrong. He had to get her to stop this, he had or else
he would lose his resolve. He had to make her mad at him, inside he was a rage
of emotions, yet outside he appeared ever so cool and in control. Roy stood
tall and proud while looking down at her, �Winry, what are you doing here? Go
home.� He sounded ever like his former self, commanding his troops.
�What are you doing here?� She
said up at him, her eyes narrowing.
For a brief moment, Roy�s eyes
connected with Alphonse who was standing a few inches behind her and then back
at Winry�s. He snorted and replied in a tone that he knew would infuriate her,
�what do you think I�m doing? I�m getting on the train to go back to Central. I
thought it was plainly obvious.�
She growled lightly, feeling that
familiar spark of hostility, �I can see that, you jerk! That�s not what I meant
and you know it,� she shook her fist at him. �Why are you leaving?�
He did not smile even though he
wanted to smile at her, her growls had always been so adorable, he just had to
be strong and firm in his decision. He was trying to think up something rude
and bitter to make her mad enough that she would hate him. Only, that�s not
what came out of his mouth, the truth instead managed to fight its way out of
him. �You were right, Winry. I shouldn�t have come here. I shouldn�t have
bothered you. You were fine and I just came and messed up your life all over
again.�
�But�� She was cut off with the wave
of his hand.
�No buts,� He wanted to reach for
her, but dared not to. It would be too hard on his heart of he even moved an
inch closer to her. �Winry, this time I must walk away from you. You�re better
off here with the Elrics�and Ful�I mean Edward.
He�ll be good to you, you know that. You two are close, best friends. He�ll
always be in your heart. I see that now.�
�Then it�s not just one eye you
can�t see out of! You�re completely blind, because if you really understood
anything about me, you would have seen that Edward, sure I care for him, but
not like I care for you.� She couldn�t help it, tears started swelling in her
eyes. �It�s true that I was afraid, afraid of you in some ways. Yet, it was
totally wrong, I was mistaken, what I was most afraid of was �myself. But if
you don�t risk everything, then you�ll never gain everything. And that�s what
I�m risking with you, I�m risking it all.� She clutched her hands together
against her breasts, trying to still her rapid beating heart. �Please don�t go,
don�t leave. Stay with me, I� I love you, Roy Mustang. Don�t go!�
Stepping backwards, he shook his
head. �I�m sorry.� The train slowly started moving.
Winry couldn�t take it. She
couldn�t watch him leave her again, not again! This time he was leaving for
good and never coming back. She could feel her heart starting to shatter all
over again. She turned around, facing Alphonse as she could no longer contain
her emotions and crushed herself against him.
Alphonse closed his eyes and held
her tightly in a strong comfort and he could hear the train moving off in the
distance. This was terrible, this wasn�t how it was supposed to happ� he opened his eyes and across the way on the other
side of the platform was�
Winry felt a rapid patting on her
shoulder and she looked up at Alphonse, where he with a nod of his head,
gestured over her shoulder. Slowly turning her head and looking in the
direction he was signaling to her, her eyes widened in shock. Her heart pounded
powerfully in her breast as she turned around fully, seeing Roy Mustang
standing on the platform, a soft breeze rustled through his hair.
For a moment she wondered if was a
dream or a hallucination, and then reality slammed back into focus, as she
blinked. Yes, he was surely still standing there. �Roy!�
A soft, tiny smile curved his
mouth at her expression. �Say that again?�
She let out a loud cry and jumped
over the train tracks to where he was standing. Winry didn�t wait and he seemed
to anticipate what she was going to do as she jumped at him. Roy
seemed to catch her effortlessly against him, holding her so tightly to
him. He never thought three words could have such an impact on him.
He kissed her right there, everything he felt poured from his soul. He
was never going to let this woman go. �I love you� was the most amazing
thing she ever could have said to him.
This was where he belonged, with
Winry and the twins. This was his family, his reason for living and nothing
would ever change that.
=======
Well that�s it for chapter 21. I know you�re all
thinking why it took so long to get this out. Sure I could have crapped out a
terrible ending just to end the story, but that�s not what I�m about. In
anything I write, I want there to be quality and an ending
everyone can be proud of. So, I wanted to give this fanfiction
the proper attention that it deserved instead of just rushing through it just
to get it finished. All of you, my wonderful readers,
who have been with me through this story and its prequel. I want to give
you an ending you all can be proud of. Now, there is only one more
chapter to go and it will be finished for all time. I will try my hardest
not to take a year to give you the last and final chapter to this wonderful
story, haha.
Now as to inform you the reason it took so long for me to
get this out, is because I have been focusing on my original writings, which
the first book of my 5 book romance-fantasy series is now for sale over at Amazon . com, it�s listed under Ryoko Blue of course. So if you would all be so kind to check it out. It will be available in
paper back soon, but currently it is just e-book form, but you can download it
even for just your computer.
I�m currently editing the second book in my series, so I�m
constantly writing. I hope you enjoy what I can give you in the terms of
my original works.
So stay tuned for the last chapter for When the Cherry
Blossoms Bloom. Thank you for reading.
- 20
- 21
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When the Cherry Blossoms Bloom