Title: Death, Walk Slowly

Author: Evil Little Dog

Rating: Teenish

Disclaimer: This is a derivative work, and, as such, I make absolutely no money writing this. Darn the luck.

Summary: Edward doesn't survive Baschool.

Warnings: Major character deaths.

A military train pulled into Risembool Station after the Promised Day, the sunlight glinting off the metal of the engine. Almost everyone from town was there, dressed in somber clothes. Soldiers carried the coffin off of a train car. The green Amestrian flag draped over it. A dark-haired man stepped up to Pinako Rockbell. She recognized him from his last visit to Risembool.

"Dr. Rockbell."

She'd heard the reports, read the newspapers. Knew he'd been promoted. "Major General Mustang."

"I'm sorry we have to meet again under these circumstances."

Pinako didn't speak. She'd lost the words when Winry returned home a couple of months ago, carrying Alphonse's helmet. The strength which had sustained her granddaughter since her parents' death deserted Winry somewhere up north, when Alphonse collapsed and didn't wake up. Winry had known at that moment Edward had died. That she'd managed to make it home offered up some sort of testimony to Winry's stubbornness.

Winry answered for her by stepping up to the coffin. She didn't lay her hand on it nor did she acknowledge Mustang formally. "Thank you for bringing him home."

"You have my condolences, Miss Rockbell," Mustang said gruffly.

The turn of her head seemed to belong more to a woman of more advanced years. Winry nodded once. Pinako felt a stab in her heart at how old Winry seemed in that instant. Taking a deep breath, she said, "We should get going."

X X X

Winry remembers the instant she knew. They'd been walking through the snow, talking. They couldn't return to Fort Briggs so they needed to go somewhere else. Alphonse had an idea – they should go to Liore, Edward would meet them there. He'd turned his helmet toward Winry – she'd braced herself for the teasing. And then.

And then.

And then Alphonse said, "What? No. Not now!" and tipped into the snow.

Winry screamed his name, leaping toward him. The armor weighed too much for her to lift. Beside her, Mei wailed. The men gathered around, their murmurs fading as Winry called his name. She tried to shake his shoulders. "Al. Al!" The cold from the metal seeped through her gloves. "Please, Al, get up!"

The sound echoed through the metal of the suit, a wavering whisper like an exhalation. Whatever tension kept the armor 'alive' faded with that final breath.

Winry hears that faint voice in her nightmares and her dreams and in the softest whistle of the wind. She thinks maybe Edward called for Alphonse, too.

X X X

Pinako didn't recognize all the men and women who'd climbed off the train, who'd taken turns carrying Edward's coffin all the way to the cemetery. Major Armstrong, tears streaming from his eyes, transmuted a deep hole in the ground for the burial. Major General Mustang spoke briefly about how Edward and Alphonse had been instrumental in spreading the word about the Promised Day. How, if it hadn't been for them, Amestris might not even be any more.

Next to her, Winry stood stiff and dry-eyed. She held the helmet in her hands, staring straight ahead. Before they lowered the coffin, she walked to the box, setting Alphonse's helmet on top of it. Major Armstrong cried for her as she stepped back. The coffin lowered into the ground. Edward would've hated the rifle salute, Pinako thought, but no one asked her.

With the coffin covered over, the soldiers milled quietly, some of them wiping their eyes, a few hugging each other. Pinako took Winry's hand, squeezing it hard. A stranger limped in front of them; grey frosting his blond hair and his glasses were fogged from his emotions.

He cleared his throat. "Miss Rockbell, do you remember me?"

Winry raised her head to study him. "Mr. Heinkel?"

His sad smile softened his face. "Yes. I wanted to talk with you. I was with Ed when he died."

Pinako felt Winry's hand squeeze hers back, nearly cutting off the circulation. "What do you have to say?" she asked when Winry didn't speak up.

"We were trapped together, the three of us. My companion, Darius, he didn't make it either."

"I'm sorry," Winry murmured.

Heinkel nodded his thanks. "Ed was thinking of you. I wanted you to know that. He said he couldn't let you cry again." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled something out, holding his hand out to Winry. "Ed used his alchemy to free me and gave me these to take care of until I saw you." Heinkel dropped something small into Winry's hand. "He was a good man, Miss Rockbell. I'm sorry he wasn't able to keep his promise." Touching the brim of his hat, Heinkel turned and limped off, leaving Pinako and Winry together.

Winry opened her hand, the sunlight glinting off the silver earrings in her palm. She folded her fingers closed again.

"Come on, girl." Pinako guided Winry away from the grave. "We should get going."

~ end ~