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Blind to the Truth

Summary:

Despite their success in catching the killer, the Elric Brothers fail to prevent the murder of twelve year old Will Kelly, leaving the boy’s mother devastated and lost in her grief, and the two boys blaming themselves for the boys death.

But when Sarai Kelly’s pain manifests in deluding herself into thinking Edward is her deceased son, things take a turn for the worse.

Roy Mustang leads the search for a kidnapped Edward while Ed has to try and get through to Will’s mother and break her from her delusions.

Chapter 1: Taken too Soon

Chapter Text

Edward Elric liked to think he wasn't one to make a fuss over things… But genuinely believing this would be lying to himself.

So rather than do that, the Fullmetal Alchemist found more sense in flopping face-first onto the bed, letting out a loud and exasperated groan while his brother, Alphonse, settled into their modest inn room. It was a humble arrangement. Just a couple of beds, a dresser, and a bathroom. A curtained window was at the far side of the room.

It was clear the inn didn't get many visitors. The paint was chipped on the furniture topped with dust, and the once vibrantly colored green curtains had faded over time.

Still, Alphonse felt letting some light into the room with his brother in such a moody state could do them both some good. 

The armored boy set down his brother's suitcase and opened up the musty curtains, letting in rays of the setting sun. It wasn't a direct view of the sky, the window actually faced an alleyway in the side of the building, but it was enough to brighten their surroundings a tad.

However, in response to the introduced light, Edward buried his face deeper into the pillow, causing Alphonse to chuckle at his brother's brooding. Edward could be pretty resistant to being cheered up by any means. Though this wasn't going to stop Alphonse. Just like his brother, he could be equally as stubborn about lifting people's spirits.

"I'm pretty sure sulking isn't going to make a philosopher's stone appear just like that, Brother." Alphonse lightheartedly joked as he sat beside Edward on the bed, the weight of his armor pushing the mattress, creaking the rusted springs inside it, and forcing Edward to shift his position. Though the older alchemist still did not lift his face from the pillows.

"Maybe I'm just not sulking enough ." Edward's pillow-smothered voice joked back, albeit still bothered. Alphonse sighed at Edward's childish sulking. Though it was to be expected of him.

Edward tended to take failed leads at a philosopher's stone harder than his young brother did. The Elric Brothers had traveled to the far west side of Amestris for an assignment that lined up with another one of Colonel Mustang's possible leads. Apparently, there'd been a trafficking ring that'd employed the use of alchemists to do their bidding. When the military caught wind of their scheming, the smugglers set off on the run toward the Cretan border, supposedly in possession of a particular fabled red stone. The brothers broke up the ring to find the assumed stone was nothing more than a hoax, a lie meant to string along their victims and keep them in control. It held absolutely no power to get their bodies back.

Alphonse knew this was why Edward was always so frustrated when their journeys came up short. He'd carried the guilt and responsibility to get Alphonse's body back, and it weighed heavier on him than Alphonse could ever understand. 

As much as Alphonse wished his brother wouldn't torture himself like this, Edward could be incredibly headstrong when he wanted to. Which was most of the time.

With the lead falling short, all that was left to do was travel back to Eastern Command and research more possible tips. Though after a long train ride from the west, the brothers decided to rest and stay the night in a small town on the way back before finally returning to East City first thing the following day. 

Hence Edward now moping in their inn room. 

"Don't you think we should call Colonel Mustang?" Alphonse suggested after a few seconds of letting his brother stir in his defeat. "He told you to call when we were on our way back."

"You do it," Edward replied tiredly, waving his hand up in a gesture for Alphonse to do just that while continuing to keep his face sunk into the pillows. "The last thing I need right now is to talk to that smug bastard."

"Brother…" Alphonse pressed chidingly. For being the older brother, Edward sure needed Alphonse to remind him to be responsible most of the time. Edward groaned once more before finally coming up out of the mattress and walking to a phone on the dresser.

"Fine… Not like it matters anyway." Edward complained under his breath. He half expected the Colonel to say most of the same things about not finding the philosopher's stone and asking when he'll be back in East City. Not that Edward felt he owed his superior officer such a play-by-play of his doings. He sometimes thought that the military was more of an inconvenience than it was worth.

Edward dialed the number and gave the operator his name and the necessary codes to reach Mustang's office, waiting to be connected. He could physically feel his displeasure grow the minute he heard Roy Mustang's greeting on the other line.

"Colonel Mustang." As miffed as Edward was already, he was a little disappointed when Mustang actually picked up the phone. 

"It's me." Edward could hear the Colonel deeply sigh on the other end. Here we go-

"What do you need this time, Fullmetal?" Roy asked, less than thrilled about receiving a call from Edward this late in the day when he was probably getting ready to head home. 

"Nice to talk to you too, Colonel," Edward said sarcastically to Mustang's irritation. Edward could almost imagine the Colonel rolling his eyes at that moment. Not to say he wasn't doing just the same. If one good thing ever came out of these phone calls, it was the chance to get on Mustang's nerves a little bit. "Another thing, why'd you just assume I needed something? Is it too hard to believe I could be calling you for any other reason?"

"Skip the sarcasm, Fullmetal. I'd like to be out of here within the next five minutes." Roy replied, evidently not in the mood for Edward's attitude. Not that he ever really was. "Where are you right now? Still in Oblyth?"

"Nah. Some small town on the way back called Hollowstone." Edward answered, absentmindedly looking out the window for a dismal view from their room on the second floor. The orange sky peeked out above a dirty alleyway littered with the inn's and the neighboring building's garbage. "Lead was a bust, so we're heading back to East City. We're catching the next train out of here tomorrow morning."

It was about here that Edward expected Mustang's usual routine of asking when they'll be back; maybe they have new orders. At worst, the Colonel had come up with some new cheap shot towards the younger alchemist's height. Edward considered tuning him out or just hanging up the phone altogether if that's what Mustang started into. 

"Did you say Hollowstone?" The Colonel asked. Edward was confused. He hadn't expected to be posed this question instead of their typical back and forth. He wondered the seeming significance behind the boring little town's name but answered all the same.

"Uh yeah, it was on the route back to East City." He said again with a scoff at the end. "Geez, Colonel, are you already so old you're not hearing me well?" Another heavy sigh from the other end of the phone. And an added one from Alphonse behind him. 

It seemed Mustang elected to ignore the comment as he continued.

"Eastern command recently received a report from Hollowstone. In the last month, there's been a small string of murders. At least three known victims so far." Mustang relayed seriously. While Edward's interest in the situation heightened slightly, he was able to rationalize immediately. It was unlikely the exact same day they heard about these incidents while passing by for one night, they would encounter a crime of this nature.

Even their luck wasn't that bad.

"Are you telling me this because you're worried about us?" Edward teased. "C'mon, Colonel, you should know by now, Al and I can take care of ourselves."

"I don't doubt it," Mustang replied without missing a beat, though it seemed his subordinates' jab at his supposed care for the boys still elicited a response. "But I'd caution you to take this seriously, Fullmetal. An official investigation into the matter is set to start as soon as the military can manage. I only ask that if you notice anything and are in a position to do something about it that you do so… And that you're smart about it too." Roy was prompt to add that last bit, fully aware of Fullmetal's tendencies to get himself into trouble when he didn't think things through.

"You say that like I'm never careful," Edward complained. He spoke up again before Mustang had the opportunity to assert that Edward had never given him a reason to believe otherwise. "And why should I have to worry about this? Isn't that the MP's job?" The brothers had come into this town in the first place to rest. The last thing Edward wanted was for the Colonel to think he could just saddle him with more work.

"You would've found out and gotten involved anyway," Mustang explained. Edward hated to admit the Colonel was probably right about that one. He'd gotten the title 'Hero of the People' for a reason, after all. He just couldn't sit around if something was wrong, and he had the power to do something about it. 

Hopefully, Edward wouldn't find himself needing to get involved. But might as well be prepared should the need arise.

"Damn it- Fine. Who were the victims?" 

"All three were children aged nine to thirteen years old. No other clear correlation besides that." Mustang explained. Edward felt his stomach coil when he realized it was kids who were being murdered. Messing with the sacred value of human life was one thing... But to cut someone down when their life barely had a chance to start was something he could never wrap his head around no matter how hard he tried. Not like he'd ever wish to understand the depravity of such monsters. "Basic serial killer situation concerning enough to warrant further military attention."

"If I see anything suspicious, I'll look into it," Edward confirmed, about to hang up the phone and get back to the rest of their night. 

"Good," Mustang returned curtly. "And by the way, when you return tomorrow, I expect your report from Oblyth on my desk as soon as you get to Eastern Command." Edward suppressed a guttural growl upon the reminder. Handing in reports late was something he'd become notorious for since joining the military. Not like that was his fault.

"Well, excuse me for having to write the stupid reports using my non-dominant hand!" Edward shot back with intensified ferocity. Writing with his automail hand would be even more challenging and time-consuming than just using his left, though neither was easy. And to have to do that while writing a boring assignment report frustrated him to no end.

"I'm sure you'll manage," Mustang responded simply before ending the call on his end. Edward brought the phone back down on its stand forcefully, rattling it atop the dresser. 

"Bastard." Edward reiterated. As if his call with Colonel had been enough to confirm that Mustang was, in fact, just that. 

"What were you two talking about, Brother?" Alphonse asked. He'd only heard Edward's part of the conversation. Mentions of victims and military police were enough to cause him some amount of apprehension.

"There's some sick freak killing kids out here," Edward said bitterly, moving away from the phone. "Colonel wants us to keep an eye out just in case we see anything."

"Oh. That's awful…." Alphonse said morosely, feeling just the same about the horrible nature of the crime as his brother. He could see Edward's face fall as he said it, his golden eyes downcast.

"Exactly. Mustang just figured we could help if anything happens while we're out here." Edward wasn't too interested in dwelling on the morbid possibility of encountering the serial killer and opted to end the topic now and shift his focus. "I doubt anything'll happen."

"I guess…" Alphonse chimed in, sounding unconvinced of his words. Edward shot him a reassuring smile. It was a reasonable concern, but one he felt his younger brother shouldn't have to worry himself over just now after a stressful assignment. Best to close off their night focused on resting up to return to eastern command tomorrow. 

"C'mon, Al. I know our luck isn't the greatest, but it's not so bad that we're just going to waltz right into some killer's path. I mean, what are the chances?

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As their luck would have it, Edward had almost completely forgotten about the information Mustang had given him earlier within the hour.

The brothers opted to leave their room and go to a tavern down the street for a quick meal before calling it a night. As they usually anticipated from strangers, the pair received a few strange looks from Hollowstone's residents as they walked in. After all, a boy walking around with a seven-foot-tall suit of armor wasn't exactly a regular sight for anyone. Much less, citizens of a small run-down town.

Edward could only imagine their reactions if they knew Alphonse was hollow inside that armor. Fortunately, most people were blissfully unaware the two alchemists were any stranger than they appeared.

Coming in through the tavern door still turned a few heads from patrons before they returned to their own conversations. Edward and Alphonse headed towards a table in the corner, hoping there'd be fewer onlookers if they stayed off to the side.

Like most places in this town, it seemed that Kelly's Tavern, as it was so named, was just as worn down over the years. It appeared Hollowstone at some point in the past had been a lively, bustling destination that'd since fallen behind the rest of Amestris. Not that the Elric brothers minded much. At least the warm lighting from the fireplace and a few wall lamps, and the lively nature of the customers lightened the atmosphere. A friendly shadow of a once lively scene. 

As they waited for someone to come over and attend to the two of them, Edward, under Alphonse's suggestion, decided to get his report for Colonel Mustang over with. Just as he'd come to expect, it was tedious and infuriating as always. 

Edward eventually shoved the report and his pencil to the side with a huff. He slammed the paper in between the pages of his travel log.

"Forget it. I'll finish it on the train tomorrow." He resolved firmly, not about to waste any more energy on the arduous task.

"You'll just get mad at it on the train tomorrow then." Alphonse reminded him, knowing absolutely better than Edward did, that the older alchemist would not be any more inclined to do his report on the train. If anything, he'd just fall asleep as he customarily did.

Edward knew this too but elected to ignore that fact. So what if the report was late again? Mustang wasn't going to die over it or anything.

Just as Edward thought to tell his brother this, he heard the crashing sounds of falling, breaking glass to his right, and whipped his head around to see what the source of it was. 

A young boy, maybe eleven or twelve, stood over what looked to be a dropped tray. The broken glass used to be a mug filled with some hot drink now spilled everywhere on the floor at his feet.

"Oh, not again-" The boy lamented, pulling out an old stained rag tucked into his belt and getting down to wipe up the spilled liquid. Edward could deduce that dropping things was a regular occurrence for this child from how recently stained the rag looked. The boy was skinny in appearance, with shoulder-length brown hair falling over his pale face as he cleaned, prompting him to blow the strands out of his green eyes once or twice. Light freckles dotted the boy's nose and cheeks.

But regardless of all of those features, Edward noticed one, in particular, that'd caught his eye.

This boy had a missing right arm. The empty sleeve of his tan collared shirt rolled up and pinned up near his shoulder. 

Edward unconsciously ran his left hand over his automail one. He didn't often come across many people with missing limbs, much less someone so young.

"Hey kid," Edward started, pushing himself up from his chair and coming over to the boy; Alphonse followed suit. "You need any help?" He dropped to his knees and started picking up the shards of glass scattered around, placing them on the tray the boy had lost hold of earlier.

"Don't worry, mister, I've got it." The boy insisted, not quite looking up at the approaching alchemists. There was a kind air to his voice, with upbeat energy, as he continued wiping up the wooden floor.

"It's no problem, really." Edward countered, finding the last of the pieces and setting them on the tray. At this point, the boy looked up to see the brothers, his eyes lingering for a moment on Alphonse. 

"Uh, gee, thanks, mister." He said to Edward, having seen the glass all picked up. Though currently, his eyes didn't leave the tall suit of armor. They were wide with amazement and childlike wonder. Alphonse had become used to this reaction from younger children and wasn't put off by the staring. Instead, he gave a boy a friendly wave.

"Hello. Nice to meet you." Alphonse greeted, polite as ever. The boy gave a smile in response, fascinated and delighted by the unusual sight.

"Hi! I'm Will." The boy introduced himself, tucking his rag back into his belt to continue the new conversation with the Elrics.

"I'm Alphonse. This is my older brother Edward." Alphonse replied, gesturing to Edward, who'd just stood up beside him. Will tilted his head and furrowed his brow, looking at Edward strangely.

"You're the older brother?" He asked. It was an innocent enough question, though one that happened to get under Edward's skin as it often referred to his stature. "But you're just as tall as me."

Edward's eye twitched as he tried to keep himself restrained. As much as he hated to acknowledge it, Will was correct. He and Edward came around to just about the same height.

Which meant this child just compared Edward's height to that of a twelve-year-old. 

Alphonse could see Edward's trembling fist and could almost see steam coming from his brother's ears, like a kettle about to boil over.

But knowing Edward's typical reactions to his height being called into question, Alphonse would say a more accurate description would be a powder keg about to explode.

"Uh, is he okay?" Will asked, looking helplessly back up at Alphonse.

"Yeah. Brother just gets this way sometimes." He explained, trying to avoid bringing up anything that would tip Edward into his usual shouting. "But yes. I'm fourteen, brother is fifteen." 

"Oh," Will said, his previously upbeat tone coming down to what sounded to be disappointment. "Huh. I thought I'd get taller when I turned fifteen." 

Alphonse groaned. Here came the explosion.

"HEY PAL, YOU SAID IT YOURSELF! WE'RE THE SAME HEIGHT, SO SHUT UP, YOU LITTLE PUNK!"

"Brother! That's not very nice of you!" Alphonse scolded, though Will didn't seem phased at all by Edward's yelling. He actually seemed somewhat amused, having not expected such an explosion from the small alchemist. The boy giggled at the outburst and came back at Edward quickly.

"If we're the same height, and you called me a little punk, wouldn't you just be calling yourself little too?" 

Edward was pushed over the edge at that remark, yelling a string of unintelligible phrases neither Will nor Alphonse could even begin to understand. Not that Will minded, he just kept laughing.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." The boy said between chuckles as Alphonse tried to calm Edward down. "I didn't know how mad you'd get about it. To be honest, I think it's kind of cool." Edward took a pause at that, looking at the child bewildered but still kind of irked from their previous exchange.

"The hell do you mean by that?" He asked, not quite back to being polite about it. Will smiled innocently, still cheerful despite Edward's tone.

"Well, we're the same height, which means I'm as tall as someone older," Will explained. Edward could admit it would make sense for a kid Will's age to be as easily impressed by something like that, even if it shot at his pride. 

"Glad I could help ya there," Edward remarked drily, bits of sarcasm still dripping from his tone. Will's eyes locked onto Edward's braid, and he smiled more.

"Hey! And we both have long hair too!" Will exclaimed, apparently finding some joy in now pointing out their physical similarities. "Next you're gonna tell me you're missing an arm too." Will half-heartedly laughed at the very suggestion. Edward, of course, didn't appear to be missing any limbs.

Though, he was about to be surprised.

Now having settled down from his temper, Edward looked back at Will's rolled-up sleeve where his right arm would've been. Will joked about the matter with a sort of forced quality to it. 

Edward knew first hand having a missing limb wasn't easy on someone so young. Even if you tried to make light of it, it was tough to wrap your head around. 

As expressionless as his armor-plated face was, Alphonse somehow conveyed a knowing look in Edward's direction. Despite previously losing his temper at the boy, Will was a kid and seemed to be a good one. He'd clearly taken a liking to Edward, admiring someone older as younger kids did. It could be nice for him to see someone who knew what it was like to have lost an arm.

Edward sighed before smiling again at Will with a laugh, rolling up his right sleeve.

"Now that you mention it...." Edward said, fully showing enough of his automail for Will to have a close look. Will's eyes got as wide as saucers as he looked at the metal limb, and his jaw dropped. 

"Wow!" The boy exclaimed, leaning in for a closer look. "You got a new arm! How'd you do that!?"

"It's called automail, kid," Edward said, his smile now genuine upon seeing Will's reaction. He supposed it felt nice to make the kid happy.

"Where can I get one!? I want a new arm too! It's so cool!" Will looked like he could practically bounce off the walls for how excited he was. It was almost like he'd never even heard of automail limbs at all.

Which Edward was only just now starting to realize could very well be the case. It was unusual. Most people who'd lost their limbs started looking for automail mechanics immediately after the fact or at least began saving up for the surgery. So why was Will so unfamiliar with the concept?

Nonetheless, Edward happened to know the best mechanic in the business. If this kid wanted automail, he ought to get the most high-grade quality possible.

"A friend of mine in Risembool could do it for you. Her name's Winry Rockbe-"

"Will!" Edward was interrupted by an older female voice calling the boy's name. The source of it, a tired-looking woman with brown hair tied into a messy bun and sharpened green eyes, came up to the boys holding an identical tray to Will's with food and drinks atop it. She went to Will's side and looked at the broken cup he'd put down earlier. The look on her face told the brothers she was not surprised by the state of it. "… I'm guessing that's Mr. Lowes coffee?"

Will sighed dejectedly. 

"Yes, mom…" He answered. So this woman was Will's mother. The brothers supposed it made sense as they shared features, and both seemed to be working the tavern. "I'm sorry I dropped another cup."

Though Will seemed crestfallen about breaking the dish, his mother smiled, giving him an understanding pat on the shoulder.

"It's alright, dear, just go back to the kitchen and fix him another one, okay?" Will's mother requested sweetly. The boy nodded and sent a slight wave in Edward and Alphonse's direction before departing. The woman sighed heavily as soon as Will moved.

"Sorry, boys. My name's Sarai Kelly. I own this tavern." She said her sweet demeanor from before dropped in favor of something less informal. More direct. 

Edward had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. When adults spoke to him with that tone, it usually meant he was in trouble for something. But he just met this woman. What could he have already done wrong?

...Was she listening in on their conversation with Will? If so, why and what had upset her?

"I'm Edward. This is my brother Alphonse."  

"Hi, Mrs. Kelly," Alphonse added, having not come to the same conclusion about Sarai's manner that Edward had. "It's nice to meet you and your son." 

Sarai laughed lightheartedly at Alphonse's politeness. Edward was still waiting for a lecture. He could be distrustful of adults sometimes, but how fast she made her way over to a conversation Edward had thought was entirely innocent in nature made him doubt he was pulling such feelings out of nowhere. He eyed her carefully.

"Yes, Will, bless his little heart." She remarked. "Take my eye off him for two seconds, and he's already gone and gotten distracted again ."

"So, you have your son help you out around here?" Edward asked, looking behind Sarai to see Will now balancing another tray of coffee and serving it to a man at the other end of the tavern.

"He insisted on it once we moved out here from Mouhed," Sarai answered. "I couldn't afford to hire help after buying the tavern, and I was doing everything by myself. Within the next few years, Will ended up begging to help me out just to lighten my load… Such a sweet kid." Edward still wasn't exactly sure why Sarai had come over to start talking to them. He was sure she'd been brought over by something she overheard. But the last thing they'd been talking about was automail.

A procedure Will had been unaware of until Edward brought it up... Was that his mother's doing? 

"Seems like it," Edward confirmed, still looking back at Will as he moved on attending to other customers. "He helps even if he doesn't seem used to doing it with one arm yet." Edward supposed that was a bit of a personal topic to touch on, especially with Will's mother, but maybe returning the subject back to Will's arm could get them back to why she hadn't wanted them talking about automail.

Sarai's face went from her tired but warm smile to a saddened expression within seconds of Edward mentioning it.

"That uh… Will lost his arm during Ishval." She said hesitantly. "We were living near the conflict when it broke out. We lost Will's father during the war as well." Edward felt a pang of guilt hit his chest as he heard her explain. Most everyone knew the Ishavallan Civil War wasn't something many Amestrians liked to talk about. Especially if they'd experienced some form of loss from it.

Edward couldn't help but feel kind of bad for prodding at that point. He should've known touching on a personal subject would lead to a painful retelling.

"Oh… Uh, I uh-"

"We're sorry to hear that." Alphonse covered for him, noticing Edward's reaction to the news. But it seemed just as Edward had wanted to know why Sarai came into their conversation, Alphonse was equally as curious. "My brother and I know a great automail mechanic in Risembool if you're interested in that for Will. We could get you in touch with her-"

"Yes, um, that's kind of what I came to talk to you two about…." Sarai interrupted once again, and Edward knew they were about to get answers for her aversion to that topic. "Money is tight as it is for us, and automail surgery is very costly. I'm not even sure if we could afford it. Even if I could, I'm sure you know it's an excruciating process. After everything that's happened to Will… I'm not sure I want anyone getting his hopes up for something he's not ready for." Edward was stunned by that reasoning. This mother didn't want her son to have a new arm? Financial reasons he understood, even concern for how painful the surgery is. But how could she not see the benefit in the long run…

"Mrs. Kelly, I understand your concerns but take it from me. I've been through the surgery myself." Edward started, hopefully putting some of her anxieties at ease. "The surgery is painful, but think long term. Having an automail arm could really help your son. If it's money you're worried about-"

"Edward, was it?" Sarai cut him off sharply, and a chill shot up Edward's spine. A simple request turned to demand faster than the flip of a coin. "I've already made it clear I don't want my son getting that surgery. He's too young, and he's not ready for any more of that pain. If you will please respect my wishes, I would rather you not put these ideas in his head…." The urgency and strictness in her tone set him back, as well as a dangerous glint in her eyes. Edward understood mothers being protective of their children, but he'd never met one so easily provoked. 

While he was aggravated and surprised that Sarai wouldn't even want to consider something that could help her own son, Edward opted not to push her any further. He supposed it wasn't even really his business.

"Fine. Sorry I guess." Edward muttered, annoyed by his position in this. It seemed cruel to him to deny someone a service that could undoubtedly change their life for the better. Getting automail had afforded him more opportunities and improved his quality of life when he'd almost thought he'd ended it for good. To see a child want such a chance only for their mother to bar them from it for what sounded to Edward like overprotection and sheltering just pissed him off.

Still, Sarai was Will's mother and ultimately had the final say for as long as Will was in her care. As much as Edward wished she'd let Will decide for himself what he wants, there wasn't much he could do about it.

As soon as Edward relented, Sarai's face returned to that warm smile she'd given them earlier.

"I thought you'd understand. Thank you, Edward." She replied kindly, giving Edward a small pat on the head. This action only served to irk the young alchemist further. There was a sudden flip in her nature. One he couldn't understand. One minute she's severe and irritable, then she goes right back to amiable once he said what she wanted.

Needless to say, Edward didn't like Sarai Kelly in the slightest.

Soon as that conversation ended, Will came running back over to the group, utterly unaware of the tense dissension between Edward and his mother. 

"Okay, mom, I'm finished. Can I keep talking with Edward and Alphonse? There aren't any other orders for me to take." Will asked, clearly having found some fun in talking with the out-of-town alchemists. The boy's desire to make conversation with them after they'd presented him with something his mother had kept from him made much more sense to the brothers now.

"We wouldn't mind, Mrs. Kelly." Alphonse informed her. "He can stay if he likes." While not outwardly keen on the idea, Sarai shot a warning gaze at Edward's direction, which he returned with an equally cutting look of his own. It seemed they understood each other and what was expected of the brothers. And that she'd be observing what they said to her son. Sarai let go of her frown as soon as she turned back over to Will, smiling at him and pointing at the broken mug he'd left behind earlier.

"Why don't you throw out those pieces before you take care of these two, okay?" She suggested. Will seemed willing to follow out with his mother's request and went to take care of the mug before Edward got an idea.

He wasn't sure if he thought first of being helpful or just wanted to get on Sarai's nerves. Either way, it worked.

"I can help." He said, stepping toward the broken mug before anyone could react and clapping his hands together. He put them down near the shards, and with a quick flash of alchemic light, the cup had been returned to its unbroken state.

"Wow!" Will exclaimed for a second time, his face lit up with fascination and wonder.

Sarai, on the other hand, was less than impressed. Far from it, though, Edward was more than happy to have caused the forced grin on her face that her eyes made it look like it hurt to maintain.

"You're an alchemist…." She remarked upon realizing it, sounding very unenthused by that news. More things she neglected to inform her son about? "How wonderful." Her tone made it sound like it was, in fact, anything but wonderful.

Edward sent a cocky smirk her way.

"Pretty cool, right?" Edward asked the elated kid, purposefully getting him more and more excited just to displease his mother. As he expected, Sarai rolled her eyes with a huff before walking away from the trio. Though Edward knew she'd most likely be watching them from a distance. 

"Way cool!" Will confirmed Edward's prior statement before striking up a chat about alchemy with the two brothers. Alphonse explained some of the basic principles for Will while Edward skeptically looked over at the woman still with her eyes trained on them.

Natural as it was given their experiences, Sarai Kelly seemed a bit too attached to her son for Edward's liking. She kept information from him about anything she decided could hurt him. If that excuse was to be believed. Maybe she just wanted Will to rely on her more or keep him close. That would make sense for having almost lost him with her husband during Ishval.

Though such attachment would more than likely prove detrimental to them both...

 Edward supposed it didn't matter so much since he and Alphonse were going to be out of town by tomorrow and tried to shake off the lingering suspicions of Sarai.

She was just unpleasant at the most. Plenty of people Edward had encountered were that way…

Still, something was nagging in his mind about her. Like he needed to be on guard around the woman. 

Edward had seen enough by this point in his life to know his instincts had a funny way of being right. But he couldn't fathom why a mildly vexing widow would set them off…

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The boys had talked well into the night before Sarai bothered them again. She sternly informed them that it was time for Will to get to bed and that they should do the same. Edward had very nearly told her she wasn't his mother and couldn't tell him what to do.

But he just so happened to yawn right when he was about to tell her off, which didn't help his case. 

So the boys bid each other farewell, and the Elric brothers returned to their inn room. Edward didn't bother changing for bed or even kicking off his boots. Just like he'd done when they first arrived, he flopped down face-first onto the pillows with an exhausted huff. Alphonse laughed.

"Again? What's upsetting you now?" He asked, reaching for a book he'd brought with him to keep him occupied for the night. When he couldn't sleep and Edward wasn't awake, there wasn't much else for a suit of armor to do.

"Nothing. Just tired." Edward replied through the pillow. It was true, after all. He almost always passed out by this time of night. Staying up late talking with a kid that had boundless energy was fun but draining.

Not to mention how many questions he had to deflect whenever Will asked about automail. He'd been tempted to explain several times until Sarai shot him a menacing look.

He could swear that woman had the sharpest ears he'd ever encountered and the eyes of a hawk. 

They'd still managed to chat for hours about alchemy or Edward and Alphonse's travels. And the boy telling Edward he wanted to be an alchemist himself one day was just a cherry on top of spite to Sarai.

Still, it'd been a long day, and Edward was more than ready to get some shut-eye.

"Night, Al." He mumbled, turning over on his side to finally go to sleep. For how beat he was, he'd wager that wouldn't take much time at all.

"Goodnight, Brother," Alphonse replied, settling on the opposite bed with his book.

With Edward falling asleep and Alphonse quietly reading, it seemed like another usual end to a day in the life of the Elric brothers. 

That was until the sound of something bouncing off their window got Alphonse's head to perk up, distracted from his book. Edward didn't move. 

"Did you hear that, brother?" Alphonse asked, reasonably sure his brother hadn't fallen asleep yet. 

These assumptions were confirmed when Edward tiredly moaned and shifted in his position.

"Can you check it? I don't wanna get up...." He said in response, and Alphonse nodded. He stood up, placing his book down on the bed before walking over to the window to take a look. He didn't see anything right away and decided to open it and get a better view. Just as he did and poked his head out to get a look around, a small rock hit his helmet and bounced off, much like the noise he'd heard before. Alphonse looked down to the source of the thrown stone, wondering who'd be throwing rocks at their window at this hour. 

"Will!?" He exclaimed when he saw the one-armed boy alone in the alleyway picking up another rock to throw up at them. Will paused when he heard Alphonse's voice and smiled once he'd got their attention.

"Will?" Edward said quizzically, pushing himself off the bed and joining his brother at the window. "Al, what are you- Will!?" Edward echoed his brother's last exclamation once he saw the boy as well, smiling and waving from beneath their window. 

"Hi, guys!" Will called up. He tilted his head to the side when his eyes landed on Alphonse, confused to see the boy still fully clad in armor. "Do you wear that armor to bed, Alphonse?"

"What the hell are you doing here, kid? It's past midnight!" Edward interjected, avoiding any questions about his brother's body. More importantly, trying to get to the bottom of why Will had followed them to their inn room. "Didn't your mom put you to bed or something?"

"Yeah! But I saw you guys leaving from my window!" Will shouted back up, not seeing the problem with him being here. "I snuck downstairs and followed you here! But uh, it took a few windows to find you." He nervously laughed at the end, and Edward and Alphonse briefly thought about how many other guests the boy must've woken up in his search.

That couldn't have gone well. No doubt some angry patron that'd been woken from his sleep was going to complain to the front desk.

"Why did you follow us?" Alphonse pressed, as Will hadn't fully answered Edward's question. "You should be asleep!"

"I know, I know it's just-" Will paused anxiously, rubbing the back of his neck and biting his lip. "I uh... I kind of wanted to finish talking about automail."

"What?" Edward said, stunned this kid was still on that despite Sarai making them move on from the subject hours ago. Had he been waiting all this time just to get away from his mom and get some answers?

"Yeah," Will answered plainly and continued to explain. "I know my mom told you not to get my hopes up or something, but... I really want a new arm, and maybe if I knew more about what getting automail is like, I could talk her into it!" Edward figured that was kind of foolish hope. Sarai didn't seem willing to listen to reasoning if it came to her son. Edward didn't like that she wasn't letting her son explore this option, but this was neither the time nor place to discuss such things. Sooner or later, Sarai would figure out Will wasn't in bed and come looking for him. And if she found him here with Edward and Alphonse, no doubt she'd be furious. 

Edward sighed, running his hand over his face in stress. It was too late at night for this.

"Look, Will, I'm sorry, but you really should go back hom-"

"We can't let him walk back all by himself." Alphonse interrupted. "Remember, brother, what Colonel Mustang said on the phone? It isn't safe." Right, Edward had nearly forgotten about the killer Mustang mentioned that was terrorizing Hollowstone. 

"Damn, just when I thought I wouldn't have to think about that." Edward cursed but agreed with his brother. In any case, it was safer if this kid had someone walking back with him making sure he got home safe. "Will, stay right there. We're gonna walk you home-"

"Can you tell me about automail on the way back?" Will pleaded before Edward could leave the window, his eyes imploring the alchemist to agree. "Please?" 

As tired as he was and kind of annoyed to have to do this initially, Edward couldn't deny the opportunity to at least give the kid some insight. He didn't know if it would help Will with his mom or how mad at Edward she'd be by the end of it, but hopefully, he'd be long gone before she even found out he'd told Will anything. 

"Alright, we'll talk on the way back. Give us a sec we'll be right down." Edward replied and turned around. His last view of the boy was a wide, excited smile eager to learn more about his chances to get a new arm. 

And maybe a shadow moving out of the corner of his eye. Right behind Will before Edward turned around...

No way. It'd been a trick of the light or just his own paranoia getting to him about this whole thing. 

Even still, Edward found himself going as quickly down to the ground floor as he could with a sense of urgency and panic he couldn't shake. 

It was nothing... He swore to himself that shadow had been nothing but his mind playing tricks on him...

"What's the matter, brother?" Alphonse asked, picking up on Edward's heightened anxiety as they went out the doors and toward the alleyway where Will was waiting.

"Nothing." Edward insisted, turning the corner into the space between the buildings. "I just thought we should get down here soon before-"

Will wasn't there.

Edward's heart stopped. 

"Damn it..." He growled out, whipping his head around the area, trying to spot where the kid had run off to.

That was it. Will had just wandered off a little way. Kids were easily distracted, after all. The shadow Edward saw was still nothi-

Edward heard a scream.

"Brother!" Alphonse cried, already running in the direction of the sound. Adrenaline shot through Edward's veins, sending him running before he had a chance to think about it. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears and his mind racing faster than any train he'd ever ridden on in his life. 

This wasn't possible...

The two boys came skidding to a halt when they finally saw something moving in the darkness. Towards the back of another alleyway down the street, Edward spotted two figures shrouded by shadow created between two buildings. 

Though he still couldn't quite see what was going on, Edward could see the moonlight reflect the gleam of a knife clutched in the hand of one of those figures...

The knife was dripping red... Edward could feel himself about to be sick before he locked a fierce glare forward.

"Hey!" Edward shouted, his initial shock and horror traded in for righteous fury burning up inside him. He bolted toward the darkness, lighting it up with an alchemic reaction once he clapped his hands and transmuted a wall behind the killer and his victim, blocking them from simply running away in the other direction.

He was closer to the scene now and could make out the figure of a dirty-blonde-haired man, maybe in his early thirties, with a crooked nose, unkempt beard, and dark, almost soulless eyes as he threw down the knife and took off running past Edward.

"Alphonse!" He yelled behind him. Calling his brother to action. 

"I've got him!" Alphonse called back. He'd already hastily prepared a transmutation circle ready to be activated. Once it was, the man was caught between the rising bars of a cage Alphonse had transmuted from the stone road. 

The man clearly wasn't prepared to be caught in such a way and nearly ran straight into one of the bars before stopping himself. He stared in disbelief at his prison.

"Wha- How-!?" The man tried in vain to shake down the bars before turning back towards the Elric brothers with a hateful glare. "You brats are alchemists!"

Edward could barely hear the man, now shouting a plethora of curses and threats his way, past the rising panic hazing over his mind as he shifted his gaze back to the small boy crumpled on the ground. A pool of blood was already forming beneath Will's limp body. Stabbed countless times in the chest, neck, and once more between the child's eyes in a messy display of blind sadistic release.

The wide-open green eyes once filled with wonder and joy were now forever frozen in terror and pain.

He was too late...

Edward could now feel himself trembling, and his knees buckled underneath him. He collapsed to his knees on the ground across from the body, choking on wretched sobs that couldn't make it out of his throat. His breath hitched and cut short, and his lip wavered, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the lifeless ones that stared right back at him in petrified agony. Piercing him right to his very soul.

Why... Why couldn't he have been faster? Why had he spoken to this poor child in the first place and gotten him to sneak out only to be murdered in cold blood right in front of him?

This was Edward's fault... 

"No... Gah-! GODDAMNIT!" Edward's scream echoed in the small space as he slammed his fist into the ground. Hot, furious tears dripped from his eyes which he carelessly tried to wipe away on his sleeve. Alphonse had now joined his brother's side and witnessed the brutal display. If he had any similar reaction, Edward didn't hear it. He was too lost in his own guilt and the weight the cost of his failures put on him.

A child's life had been taken because he wasn't fast enough... Why hadn't he been fast enough...

Edward couldn't tell you how much time passed before other people were drawn out by the commotion and military police were called immediately. At some point, one of the black-clad officers had cautiously approached the boy, still in shock on the ground. Edward was brought to his feet away from the scene. He could tell the officer was asking him questions, but the sounds were muffled in his ears. 

He could see paramedics loading Will's body onto a stretcher, draped in a white sheet of cloth.

The officer that'd led him away sat him down on the curb outside, trying to get through to him a bit more before Edward saw Alphonse approach. His brother must've said a few words before she left them alone.

There were more sights; he half-remembered the criminal he and Alphonse had captured being led away in handcuffs. As he tried to come more to his senses, he could hear Alphonse telling him to breathe even though the suit of armor sounded just as distressed as he was.

But nothing entirely broke him out of this state until he heard the shrill scream of a woman.

Sarai.

"Where is he!? WHERE IS MY SON!?" She demanded from the military police. They tried to explain the situation to her, but she was so frantic she wasn't listening to a word they said. "I want- I want to see him. WHERE IS HE!?"

Edward felt like he'd been shot through the chest at the sound of Sarai's cries. He may not have gotten along with the woman when they first met, but now all he could see was the one person he had to answer to for letting her son be killed. 

He hoped she wouldn't notice him and Alphonse sitting off to the side, silently watching as an MP finally gave her the news. The look of her face fell from alarm to crashing disbelief in seconds.

And another grief-ridden agonized cry filled the night. 

Edward didn't process when he tried to stand up, not wanting to be around this scene any longer than he could handle. He was shaky on his feet but still tried to step away.

"Al... Al c'mon, let's go-"

"YOU!" The single word stopped the boys dead in their tracks and made Edward's blood run cold. He slowly turned around to see Sarai, angered tears streaming down red cheeks and her eyes burning in hatred for them. "You had something to do with this! What did you do to my son!?" 

Edward wanted everything in him to run away and never see this woman or face the guilt he felt for Will's death ever again. But he was frozen in place, trying to find something, anything he could possibly say to somehow make up for what had been lost.

But there was nothing.

"I-" Edward paused and swallowed to rid himself of the lump in his throat. He bowed his head in shame, hiding his face from Sarai as he tearfully explained. "He snuck out. Al and I- we were going to walk him back but then... I wasn't there in time to save him... I'm sorry, Mrs. Kelly. I'm really sorry..."

"We caught the killer," Alphonse sadly offered, but he knew this wasn't enough to make up for Will's life. "But he'd already-"

Alphonse found himself cut off when Edward's jacket collar was abruptly snatched up by Sarai, forcing him to look her in the eyes as she screamed down at him.

"My son is dead because of you, Edward! H-He would've never snuck out if you hadn't talked to him! Now he's dead, and it's you- IT'S YOUR FAULT-! THIS IS YOUR FAULT-" Alphonse had to get behind Edward and pull him away from the screaming woman while the MP's took care of Sarai on their end. Edward was still too shaken from the encounter and let Alphonse pull him aside.

"Are you okay, brother?" Edward heard Alphonse say at some point. He thinks he gave him a response.

They didn't take too long to leave after that and go back to the inn. But Edward didn't get a wink of sleep for the rest of that night.

The accusations were still too loud, ringing over and over again in his mind no matter how much he tried to force them out...

Your fault... This is your fault...

And he truly believed it was.

 ------------------------------------------------

"I see... While it's unfortunate catching Samson Abernathy came at the cost of another child's life, at least we can rest easy knowing Hollowstone is safe for now." 

Samson Abernathy... That'd been the name of the man who killed Will Kelly. But even with this knowledge, Edward could still not relinquish the guilt for Will's death he felt he deserved.

He'd just finished recounting the previous night's events to Colonel Mustang over the phone while he and Alphonse waited at the train station for their ride back to East City. They still had another hour before the next train would come.

"Yeah, for sure..." Edward replied half-heartedly into the phone. The Colonel had said they could 'rest easy.' Edward could safely say it'd be a long time before he could do that again... 

"There something wrong, Fullmetal?" The Colonel asked. Edward could've sworn Mustang almost sounded worried. "I already told you if there's more to the case, I can come down there-"

"No, it's fine, Colonel..." Edward wearily insisted. The lack of sleep from the night before wasn't doing him any favors. "We caught the guy. Now we're just letting the MP's take it from here."

"If you're sure. I should expect to see you back in East City next Monday?" Mustang asked, which surprised Edward when just yesterday the Colonel demanded Edward's mission report by today. Now he was willing to let them have the weekend?

"I thought you wanted my report today."

"I know you didn't do it," Mustang replied simply, which was the truth after all. "Besides, it sounds like you didn't sleep. Get some rest and hand it in when it's actually filled out well and not while you're half passed out." Edward didn't know what to think of these new orders. He knew the Colonel was affording him the extra time out of some form of pity or concern. Mustang knew how these cases messed with Edward. To anyone else, it would appear the Colonel pushed his youngest subordinate as much as he would any other member of his team. But Edward knew Mustang had already bent the rules or what was expected from the Fullmetal Alchemist several times before.

As much as he usually hated charity or pity, Edward was grateful for it in this instance. 

"Right, I'll have it by then." He confirmed and hung up the phone. He walked over to a bench where Alphonse sat, watching the tracks for when their train would come. Edward stopped and stood next to him, setting his eyes to the rails as well.

"Did Colonel Mustang say anything?"

"Just that he'll see us Monday."

"I thought you had a report due today."

"Guess he moved it up."

Neither Edward nor Alphonse were too in the mood for talking. After everything that'd happened last night, it just wasn't something they had the energy to do. No matter what they talked about, they still avoided discussing what they'd seen. And what they'd felt since then...

They'd felt the guilt of failing to save someone's life before. 

It still hurt just as much as they remembered.

But unlike that time they'd failed to revive their mother, Edward knew this time there was someone else who'd lost something dear for this tragic turn of events.

Sarai. 

While last night Edward hadn't been able to offer her much more than some unworthy explanation and a small apology, he felt the woman deserved more than that from him when she'd endured this kind of loss.

He couldn't ever truly fix it, there was no reclaiming what was lost once death came to someone's life, but Edward still felt if there was anything he could do to atone, he would have to at least offer. He could still give her a proper apology at most.

"...Al, I'm gonna go take a walk," Edward stated plainly, much to Alphonse's confusion. He'd already begun to wander off from the station.

"But Brother, the train-"

"It won't be for another hour." Edward dismissed Alphonse's concern. "I just want to clear my head..."

Alphonse couldn't figure out why Edward wanted to leave so suddenly. He rose to follow him.

"Do you want me to come with you?" He said, not thoroughly convinced he should leave his brother alone to his devices. Not with both of them in such a low state.

"That's okay... I'll be back before the train gets here," Edward said and walked back into Hollowstone for reasons Alphonse didn't know and found himself worrying over. He hoped Edward would tell him later what he'd needed.

It wasn't long before Edward found himself right back at Kelly's Tavern, looking at the sign above the door with dread. This wasn't going to be easy. It hadn't been last night, and it wouldn't be now. But that didn't change the fact that it needed to be done. If for nothing else than to ease his guilty conscience.

He took a deep breath and walked through the door.

What little life or warm feeling had been inside the tavern last night before Will's murder was snuffed out completely when Edward stepped inside. A light had been taken from this world, and it seemed the places Will had illuminated were robbed of it.

"What do you want?" Edward turned around toward the bar counter where he'd heard the voice come from. Sarai Kelly sat there, an almost empty bottle of wine clutched in her hand as she looked ahead with dulled eyes. The anger Edward had seen in her last night quelled down to utter despair and defeat.

He could remember feeling just the same only a few years ago. 

"If you're not going to speak up, you can get out." The woman demanded harshly, setting Edward back into his reasons for coming here.

"I- I wanted to apologize again for Will-" Edward started but was cut off by Sarai's cynical scoff. He didn't let this deter him. He'd expected that kind of reaction. "I know that doesn't sound like much, but... Believe me, if there was anything I could do to make this right, I would-"

"Well, unless your alchemy can bring my son back, I doubt there's much you can do." Edward winced at the implications of what she'd said, knowing too what it was like to consider such thoughts... And knowing too the cost of having them.

"...If I had that kind of power," Edward started bitterly. "I would've already done it by now." 

How true those words he'd spoken hurt him inside. But there was only so much an alchemist could do with the power they held... 

No alchemist could ever bring back the dead... not ever.

"Just, if there's anything I can do to make this up somehow- Or just to help..." Edward's offer felt so much more meaningless when he actually said it out loud. How stupid he was to think he could come in here and fix things...

...And yet, the words had shifted something in Sarai's mind. She looked over to the boy standing across from her.

Help . He'd offered to help . Just as her Will would do so often out of the kindness of his heart. 

She could've sworn she saw him standing right there in the tavern with her. His bright green eyes were looking back at her with the same eager, anticipating look he'd give her when he offered his service. Alive and right there waiting for her to tell him what she needed...

If she could just make sure he wouldn't leave her again... If she could just make sure he'd always be right there like she saw him and she wouldn't lose him...

Edward sighed as Sarai oddly stared at him without saying a word. His attempts had fallen just as flat as he felt they did. Well, no one could say he didn't try. He turned to exit the tavern and head back to the train station-

"Edward." Sarai's voice turned his head back around. She'd stood up from the bar, looking at him strangely...

She was almost smiling...

"I think I might've been a bit harsh before," She said, her voice no longer carrying any animosity toward him. Edward wondered why that was. 

He could feel some of the instincts he'd felt about Sarai the night before returning, setting off alarms in his head he ignored for the sake of hearing her out. He wasn't about to let unusual feelings get in the way if he had an opportunity to repay her for what he'd cost her last night.

"Okay..." He replied, stepping over to Sarai as she moved behind the counter, gesturing for him to follow.

"If it's not too much trouble, there is something you can do." She said, pulling out what looked to be two pieces of a broken glass tray from underneath the counter. "This was Will's when he first started helping me. Broke it on his first day. It's why we use the metal ones now. If you wouldn't mind using your alchemy to mend it, it'd mean a lot. Just so I can keep  it in memory of him..." The request gave Edward pause for a moment. He wasn't sure why. It just seemed odd that she wanted him to fix a simple tray.

But it also seemed wrong to question. If this was what Sarai wanted, it was what Edward would do. He owed her at least that much...

"Sure, no problem." Edward agreed, coming over to the tray and clapping his hands to start the repair.

He didn't see Sarai behind him taking one final swig from her wine bottle before raising it behind his head, ready to strike.

"Well, it's fixed-" The hairs on the back of Edward's neck raised for only a split second as he was cut off by a direct hit to the back of his head that sent him toppling face-first to the floor. He'd heard the sound of shattering glass behind him when he came down.

The attack had come out of nowhere, giving him no time to stop it. Now Edward's head was throbbing with pain; the edges of his vision were already starting to blur and fade to black. 

His instincts were screaming for him to get up and run. Do something other than lie there helplessly for whatever came next. But he was already slipping rapidly into unconsciousness while a quiet, muffled voice reached his ears. He could feel someone's hand gently tousling his hair.

"Shhh... It's alright. Go to sleep, Will."

... Will?

Edward's eyes closed, and everything went dark.