A/N: Hey everyone! Okay, this is my first Fullmetal Alchemist fanfiction, but I have seen the entire series. Just a few quick notes: my stories do not follow the original plotline perfectly, so purists, please don't read it if you have a problem with one fact changed; if you don't like it, don't read it, please! Do not flame just because you don't like it! If you have a lot of information that is labeled as "constructive criticism," please email it to me. I am open for stuff like that. If you DO want to flame me, then email it to me! Anyway...please R/R if you like. Don't if you don't, simple as that. Also, this story happens after episode fifteen or sixteen. Spoilers for fifteen and also for episode four, strangely, but ina much later chapter. Anyway, I just wanted to say when it happened. Also, it's just a mix of a lot of genres, but angst fit it best.

"A Forgotten Memory"
Prologue
By: LadyRiona

"Didn't you care? Didn't you care about me and Al?"

Those words stopped whatever retort was working in her mind. His words were so full of hate and loathing. Was it possible to hate someone so quickly after seeing them for the first time in years? She guessed so from Ed's actions and words towards her. But she refused to let her hurt show to him. The last thing she would let Ed see was her tears and the distress in her eyes. So she mustered up all she could to reply.

"I did care, Edward, I still do." God help her, her voice was shaky. She opened her mouth to speak more, but Ed cut her off.

"Then why didn't you come back to us? Why didn't you come when you heard about Mom's death?" he shouted at her.

Her vision blurred. No matter how much she tried to keep the tears from coming, the stinging in her eyes only increased. "I wanted to," she said unsteadily.

"Why?" The distaste and abhorrence in his voice devastated her, tearing at her soul.

But why hadn't she come? Other than she hadn't cared then, why? If she told Ed that it hadn't bothered her, he would never forgive her. There were other reasons. She really had cared about that. She had only convinced herself otherwise. What were those other reasons? What were they?

"I was afraid, Edward," she whispered. She looked up at him through her teary eyes and pushed her blond hair back with a shaky hand. "I was afraid of coming back and no one would be here. I was afraid that no one would welcome me." He started to say her name, but she cut him off. "I was afraid you would hate me for leaving you, but you hate me now just for coming back."

Ed sighed audibly. He walked over to her and put his arms around her, one flesh, and one metal. Luckily, she was his height so it wasn't too awkward, but she could still feel his stiffness and unfamiliarity of the action.

"I don't hate you," he told her quietly.

She cleared her throat a little so she wouldn't sound too pitiful when she spoke. "I'm sorry, Edward. I'm so sorry." She returned the embrace and leaned her head on his shoulder. Something told her to look up, though, so she did. Immediately upon doing so, it was purely her reflexes that reacted.

Before the thought occurred, she had pushed Ed out of the way and taken the bullet. She jerked when the hot metal came in contact with her stomach. Unusual warmth washed over her, starting from the pit of her belly. Things became hazy. Ed's cry sounded a little distant, and the clank of Al's armored body was merely a quiet creak to her ears. Her mind was blank. What happened?

She fell to her knees and touched her stomach. There was a dull ache there. When she brought her fingers back to her line of vision, her fingertips were coated in warm blood. A panicked chill quickly replaced that warm feeling from only a few seconds ago. Her hands began to shake violently before her. Everything else blurred away as the moment set in.

Someone had tried to kill Ed. She'd shoved him out of the way on instinct. She'd taken the bullet in her stomach. She was going to die.

Then her surroundings came back to her in one sudden slap. Her cheek stung where Ed's flesh and bone hand had flown across it. She blinked a few times and touched her face. He was kneeling before her, shouting. How long had he been there?

"Can you hear me?" he asked her loudly, desperately. She responded with a faint nod.

"Brother, what happened?" Al asked.

Ed ignored his question. "Go get Auntie and Winry, now," he ordered. Al hesitated a moment, but ran back into the house. He turned his attention back to the girl in front of him. "Why did you do that?" Was he beginning to cry?

She swallowed hard. It hurt to so badly now. She lifted her hand to Ed's cheek and smiled. "I love you, Brother," she whispered. After that, everything faded into nothing as consciousness left her.