Epilogue: My Immortal

A middle-aged, blonde man crouched in front of a small stone in the center of the graveyard.

"This is the last time I'll be coming here." He said, quietly tracing the letters carved into the weathered stone. "After all these years… I've finally found it."

He paused as his fingers reached the end of the deep grooves that formed the name on the stone and let his hand fall to his side. "They don't know." He murmured softly. "Al probably suspects, but he won't say anything. He probably wouldn't know what to say anyway. They never understood."

The man chuckled softly, wryly, and shook his head. "I'm not even sure if I understand yet."

He hummed contemplatively as he reclined against the headstone, metal arm clanging softly as it came in contact with the stone. "I want to though." He continued. "I want to know, to understand."

A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "But you wouldn't even give me that. Always annoying me, even when you're not here anymore."

He gazed around the graveyard contemplatively, almost as if the answer could be found somewhere amongst the bones. He couldn't help but chuckle once more as he noticed their place in the center of the sanctuary. He'd always felt it was strangely fitting, the way the remains of the person who had somehow managed to become the center of his very own world were kept in the very center of the cemetery.

Then again, he contemplated, he somehow doubted the homunculus would have settled for anything less. Even when he'd still been alive the other had somehow always managed to get in the middle of whatever Ed had been doing. It was only natural that it would remain as such.

Yet it hadn't.

Not really at least. No amount of sitting next to the empty grave would change that. His other had been taken away, from the world and, more importantly, from Ed. Leaving behind only memories for him to try and sooth his aching heart. Memories and a determination to change things, a determination to get him back. A desire to understand.

While the others had slowly settled down after the threat of Dante and the remaining homunculi had been dealt with- something Ed had found great pleasure in doing- Ed just couldn't find his peace. Instead of feeling better after the dangers had been dealt with, he just felt empty. Like he wasn't just missing an arm and a leg anymore, but a piece of his heart as well, and no mechanic or automail could fix him.

A part of his world was missing, and he didn't know how to deal with it.

So he did what he'd always done when faced with a seemingly unsolvable problem: He researched. Day after day, night after night, he immersed himself in books. Books about souls, books about death, books about the afterlife, anything and everything that he thought might help. He wasn't crazy enough to try another human transmutation again, he had no wish to repeat the tragedies that had brought about the first time, but he didn't know any other way and so he studied.

Weeks went by like that and slowly those weeks turned into months. His friends worried about him but he didn't care. Nothing mattered, not as long as that void wasn't filled.

Eventually Alphonse managed to pull him out of his trance and Ed became more sociable again, though he still secretly spent his evenings leafing through obscure, ancient texts and making notes on anything he thought might be useful. He became a bit of a recluse, preferring the company of his books to that of his friends, only really coming out of his room for important events, like the weddings of Al and Winry, and Roy and Riza, or Roy's appointment as Fuhrer.

Years had passed like that and still he had not made any progress. At his wit's end he had finally succumbed and started researching human transmutation again, beginning with his and Al's attempt at resurrecting their mother. Reliving the memories, if ever so reluctantly, reminded him of his encounter with the Truth and the gate. He'd never really paid attention to it before, but if he could reattach Al's soul with the knowledge he'd gained there, then who knew what else he could learn?

After that Ed had thrown himself back into his research with a new gusto. Books about the Truth were incredibly hard to come by and even then they consisted mostly of speculations. Still, Ed persevered and now, after several more years of diligent searching, he believed he had finally found the answer to his troubles.

He knew it wouldn't be without consequences, it was one of the only things the stories agreed on and something his own brief encounter and loss of a limb had taught him. Still, he firmly believed it would be worth it.

It had to be.

And with that final conviction he rose from his spot against the grave, dusted of his clothes and gave the inscription on the grave one last, lingering, look.

An epitaph he had chosen himself as a symbol of his determination and his belief that one day they would meet again was carved into the stone.

Faith builds a bridge across the gulf of death.

"Just you wait," He spoke to the silent night air, golden eyes burning. "Envy!"

And with that he turned and ran off, leaving the graveyard behind without a second glance.

Staring into the abyss that was the gate and the beyond, Ed tried not to feel nervous as he awaited Truth's judgment. All his years of searching had led to this moment, but if the being denied him now then everything would have been for nothing.

The shadowy form was sitting cross-legged in front of the gate, head tilted contemplatively as he thought over Ed's request.

"And you are sure?" The white shade finally asked, curiosity tilting its warbled voice. "There will be no going back."

"I am." Ed replied, sounding completely certain of his words.

"How very curious." The being mumbled. "Oh so curious."

He continued talking in a low murmur. Different voices all speaking to themselves in so many different languages Ed just couldn't keep up. Eventually though the Truth nodded to himself and jumped up, startling Ed at the suddenness of it all.

"Very well then! A deal is a deal!" A gleaming smile curled at the being's nonexistent lips, revealing a set of sharp, white, teeth.

"Edward Elric, we accept your request!"

Before Ed could really realize what had just happened black arms stretched from behind the gate and grabbed him, slowly pulling him in, and all the while Truth kept laughing, voices echoing through the nothingness as he did so.

"A life for a life. Your existence here for an existence beyond. From this day onwards you will be nothing, if only for the chance to become something."

Truth smiled again, that same, sharp smile. "Good luck, little alchemist."

And with that the gates slammed shut.

THE END.

An/: And that's it. I almost can't believe it but after many years Smile for Me is now complete!

I hope y'all enjoyed this final chapter and a big thank you to everyone who's read, commented, followed, faved and otherwise cheered me on while writing this. Without your support I never would have come this far.

xXxMai1564