Epilogue - Here after
"Hello Edward," the woman said as she looked down on the tombstone. Her shoulder length chestnut brown hair was blowing lightly in the wind. "This is the first time we've spoken in years, I'm sorry. I have been very busy lately and believe it or not, your tombstone was harder to find than I thought."
She sighed and smiled weakly, "It has been two years since they shot you. When I heard what happened to Alphonse, I myself cried. Rumors that 'one of the golden eyed boys were dead' were all over Auschwitz; only for a while. I figured it was Alphonse, since they were saying the stubborn one was still alive." She scoffed lightly, "what a way to be remembered right?
"A day or two after Alphonse died, I heard another rumor. One that apparently happened the same time the first one started, but news didn't reach me until later. This one said that the other golden eyed boy had gone mad. I heard you killed that doctor in the medical tents. Shou Tucker, if I remember his name right. Well, I heard that he was beaten to death by you; I kind of expected it. The way you cared about Alphonse, it didn't surprise me that you would do something like it.
"Well in any case, they told me that you were shot down. I wanted to ask more questions but was a little scared to. So I just did my job and went on living. I kept thinking about you boys all the time. Wondering how my boys were doing back home and everything…
"You know, some time later that man Jean Havoc, started a rebellion. It didn't go over too well, but worked. He managed to get a bunch of men together and they closed down one gas chamber. Then something else happened a while after that, and they had to move us. We had to run on this thing they called a Death March. It was hard on a lot of us, but we survived." She shook her head laughing a little out of sadness mostly. "If you boys survived a little longer you would have been saved like we were.
"They came for us again, only this time we were set free. It was the most wonderful day of my life, but all I could think about was you and your brother. I wanted you both to be there with us when they announced our release. I even imagined you two hugging, laughing, crying, and cheering; all at the same time. I started crying myself when I thought about it. I wanted you two to be there so badly…
"A long time later, I was reading about different things on the incident that happened. The 'Holocaust', they named it." She frowned lightly, "something was wrong though. I tried to find any information on that doctor you suppose ably killed; I wanted to find out if you'd killed him or not. Turned out no one had even heard of a Shou Tucker. A few Holocaust survivors like myself could remember him, but no one had actually spent time with him so they knew nothing.
"Then I started wondering about you boys, and if they spoke of you and your eyes. Turns out, there was no information on that either. In all records there was no talk of the golden eyed boys, and to this date there is no recollection of an Edward or Alphonse. Then again, it would be easier if I knew your last names huh?" She sighed, "I'll keep trying though.
"You'll be glad to know most of the people involved with the Holocaust are dead. Many of them committed suicide, including the furher, Adolf Hitler." She nodded, "I always told myself you must be smiling or something. I know that sounds cruel, but I know you hated them. I hated them too, but no enough to smile about it. I'm sorry, I make you sound evil…
"Anyway, I just wanted to come and talk to you. It took me three months to find this tombstone. Jean Havoc hunted me down and told me that he made a small memorial for you. That was so kind of him to do, I just had to come visit it for myself." She took in a deep breath, "it really Is beautiful Edward, I hope you can see it just as I can." She said as she looked over the stone.
The stone wasn't very big, and almost sunken into the ground. It was a rectangular stone that read the words 'Edward and Alphonse; brothers'. Sweet and simple, just as they would have wanted it. The woman felt tears in her eyes as she closed them a moment. "I wish… I wish you boys were still alive to witness the new age. The war is over, the world is at peace. Everything seems to be getting better. I wish you could see it," she said opening her eyes again with a small smile.
"I'm sorry, I've bothered you long enough. We should get going," she bowed her head out of respect, "good bye Edward. I hope you are finally happy." She said as she looked back behind her.
Down the hill a little ways, two eight year old boys were running around. The little blonde one knocked down the younger boy with dishwater blonde hair. When he had he quickly apologized and helped the other up. With little smiles the two started to play again.
Their mother smiled looking over at them, "Edward! Alphonse! Come on, we're going home!" She called as she started walking on.
The boys both laughed and ran over, "coming mom!" They both shouted in unison as they grabbed a hold of her hands and walked along side her. Trisha Elric smiled down at her sons, giving them a little squeeze with her hands.
Little did the family know; the Elric brothers were smiling and laughing elsewhere. Hell was over for them now…
And that was just the way they liked it.
RxR
- Kori