The characters and situations of Fullmetal Alchemist (鋼の錬金術師 Hagane no Renkinjutsushi) belong to Hiromu Arakawa, Square Enix, Shonen Gnagan, et al. I claim nothing but this story.

It's not loneliness, not really, and boredom is a concept long consigned to the annals of antiquity.

Life with Ed simply won't allow such things.

It's just that Roy still misses his friend sometimes.

Ed never complains about his missing limbs, never suffers from phantom pains. Ed is a pragmatist; they have this in common. They have to be- alchemy teaches it, war demands it.

Yet what was lost remains lost, even if shadows don't weigh anything.

There was never anything more than what was there, there was never any possibility. There was always Gracia, who was everything to Maes. Even if she hadn't been, they were still who they've always been.

Roy had believed Maes smart enough to stay out of range.

"You need someone more durable," Maes had acknowledged, "someone who'll endure." A crook of a smile, an attempt at cleverness. "The Flame Alchemist and a paper-pusher like me? That just spells disaster."

Maes would have understood. It's not the tensile strength of the automail, not even the genius of his alchemy.

Ed's eyes will always burn fiercer, his hell hotter, than Roy's flames ever could.

© JCSA 2005