Ok, this is Ariel's adventure with Edward Elric! Enjoy!
Sun shining down through the curtains awoke me that particular Saturday morning. Stretching my small limbs, I quickly got out of bed and headed downstairs where I was greeted by my father's warm embrace. I loved this feeling.
"Hungry?" he asked me. "I made your favorite!"
"Yeah! French Toast!" I squealed as I climbed up onto my chair.
"Ariel, keep it down," my mother scolded as she walked into the room, her robe tied around her slim waist. "You are going to give me a headache."
"Sorry," I mumbled, my smile disappearing. I glanced up at my father, who winked at me; my smile returned.
"So, what are you going to do today?" my father asked as he set the plate in front of my face.
"Well, I was wondering if maybe I could talk to you guys about my going to school," I answered.
"No. It's out of the question. You don't belong there with the other children," Mother replied, sipping her coffee from her favorite chipped mug.
"But why?" I asked angrily. "I deserve to have an education. I can't just sit and read any more. I want to get out and learn like everyone else."
"Normal kids go to school. And we all know you aren't normal."
"But, Mama, I want to make friends!" I whined. "You won't let me have any friends."
"You are a monster, Ariel. You have no friends!"
I dropped my fork, which I had been gripping tightly, and ran out the door. Tears streaming down my face. I ran blurry eyed through the small city and ended up at the river's edge. Peering into the water, my reflection stared back up at me. I looked like everyone else. Why couldn't she see that?
I splashed the water, hoping to dissipate the image that stared back at me, and sat on the bank. I heard a commotion behind me. Turning, I saw two boys running happily down from the road. Both being blondes, I could tell right away they were brothers.
They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw me. I shied away. Could they tell that I wasn't normal?
"Hey!" the shorter one nodded in my direction. "Are you new around here?"
I shook my head. "No, I live on the other side of the city."
"Oh. What brings you way over here?"
I shrugged. "I had a fight with my mom."
"It's kinda dumb to cry about it," he said, giving me an odd look. "Crying does nothing to help the matter."
"Ed," said the other boy, glaring at his brother.
"I'm sorry. I can't help it," I wiped away the tears that clouded my eyes.
"There. Now, doesn't that feel better? You can see your eyes better," he laughed. "Want to play with us? We are playing tag." He extended his hand to help me to my feet.
"Sure," I nodded taking his hand. Brushing my behind, I said, "I'm Ariel."
"Ed, and that's my brother Alphonse."
I smiled. "You're it!" I tagged Ed and ran up the bank and into the open fields.
From that moment on, Ed and I were best friends. The season's changed, we got older. Tragedy after tragedy only seemed to bring us closer together. My parents died before Ed's mom became ill and passed away.
The day after she passed, Ed told me he was going to find away to bring her back. Weeks later, he told me he had found a teacher and was going to go train with her. I understood that he had to leave me behind, but it didn't stop the pain from creeping into my heart.
That final day will forever be planted into my mind. We basically played games with Winry and Al to pass the time, but that night, our final goodbye was so hard.
"So, when will you be back?" I asked as I looked out at the flowers that blew in the wind.
"I don't know," he answered truthfully.
He held my hand in his. "I'll miss you," I told him.
"Me too."
"ED! ARIEL!" I could hear someone calling for us.
"We better get back," I said as the sadness spilled into my eyes and I tried not to cry. I started back for the house, but Ed grabbed my wrist and spun me back around.
He planted his lips on mine before I could even grasp what he was doing. "I've been wanting to do that for awhile now," he told me. "I don't want to leave and regret not doing it."
I blushed the whole way back to the house as I held onto his arm. I waved at the brothers as they walked off into the sunset. It looked like something out of an old movie. I never saw him again. He went off to do his own thing, and I mine. But I will forever remember those years we had together.
