Fullmetal Alchemist: Wish You Well
Jul. 13th, 2011 07:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dracoqueen22Here's the first in a string of ficlets I've been writing bit by bit. This piece was thanks to a prompt from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mandalee1013 , who was gracious enough to give me a slew of prompts to work with in order to kickstart my brain.
Also, this is entirely self-beta'ed.
Title: Wish You Well
Characters: Maes with mentions of Roy, Elysia, Gracia, Ed, and Al
Rating: K
Warning: Spoilers, character death
Description: Instead of glimpsing the past, Maes is wishing for the future he'll never see.
He's getting cold. It's a strange sensation, feeling his blood spilling from his body. Feeling his heart slow, his breath stutter. His eyes prickling with heat, followed by the overwhelming grip of failure. The pain has faded; by now, it's a distant sensation, a vague crawling down his spine.
Maes is dying. There's no sense in lying to himself. As sure as that shifty bastard's cackles are echoing around him, Maes knows he's dying. He just wishes it weren't like this.
All of the sudden, the man who always felt he had everything, doesn't have enough. Doesn't have nearly anything he's ever asked for.
He wants to see Elysia grow up. To see her smile and laugh. Her first date. Her first day at school. Her wedding day. Graduation. Wants to hear her say “love you, daddy” one more time.
Gracia's strong. She can do this without him. Maes doesn't want her to. She's strong but not unbreakable. Even the strong need a place to rest. Where will she go if Maes isn't there? Who will tell her it's okay to be weak?
Maes can't leave. Their anniversary is next week. They've got reservations. He's going to buy her a bouquet of white lilies – her favorite.
He wants to curl next to her warmth one more time.
Edward, too. And Al. He wants to see them act like real kids. To dream and play and be happy. They need to see that there's more than blood and pain and disappointment, that there are good things left in the world.
And Roy. Gods, Roy. Who never bends, only breaks. Who still can't forgive himself. He'll think this is his fault, too. Maes is sure of it.
Roy will stack up the guilt until he's buried in it. And Maes won't be there to dig him out.
There are so many things Maes still needs to say. Secrets he's kept close to his heart. Things Roy ought to know anyway, but they are always better admitted aloud.
Maes had promised; they'd promised. Straight to the top. He'd support Roy all the way, but now... now he can't. Who's going to stand there in his place? Who understands what Roy is really trying to accomplish but Maes?
He just wants to see Roy smile again, without that edge of shattered sorrow. He wants to see the light in Roy's eyes. He wants to say all the things he should have said before.
Maes can't die. Not yet. But he is. Can feel the heat seeping out of him, into the cold stone ground. Can hear each plip of blood, slowing with his heartbeat.
He's tired. Eyes drooping.
Footsteps are fading into the distance; his useless knife clatters to the ground. So useless.
He wants to scream, yell, cry, but he's numb. He's numb and he's cold and he's broken. Maes knows he ought to pray, but he won't get the one thing he wants.
They need him. Maes can't leave.
But he knows the truth more than anyone. When the darkness closes over him, he knows he's already gone.
a/n: I've got at least nine more ficlets on the way, but they need to be typed up, finished, and spiffied up. So they'll trickle onto the LJ over the next few weeks.
Feedback is always welcome and appreciated.
mandalee1013 , who was gracious enough to give me a slew of prompts to work with in order to kickstart my brain. Also, this is entirely self-beta'ed.
Title: Wish You Well
Characters: Maes with mentions of Roy, Elysia, Gracia, Ed, and Al
Rating: K
Warning: Spoilers, character death
Description: Instead of glimpsing the past, Maes is wishing for the future he'll never see.
He's getting cold. It's a strange sensation, feeling his blood spilling from his body. Feeling his heart slow, his breath stutter. His eyes prickling with heat, followed by the overwhelming grip of failure. The pain has faded; by now, it's a distant sensation, a vague crawling down his spine.
Maes is dying. There's no sense in lying to himself. As sure as that shifty bastard's cackles are echoing around him, Maes knows he's dying. He just wishes it weren't like this.
All of the sudden, the man who always felt he had everything, doesn't have enough. Doesn't have nearly anything he's ever asked for.
He wants to see Elysia grow up. To see her smile and laugh. Her first date. Her first day at school. Her wedding day. Graduation. Wants to hear her say “love you, daddy” one more time.
Gracia's strong. She can do this without him. Maes doesn't want her to. She's strong but not unbreakable. Even the strong need a place to rest. Where will she go if Maes isn't there? Who will tell her it's okay to be weak?
Maes can't leave. Their anniversary is next week. They've got reservations. He's going to buy her a bouquet of white lilies – her favorite.
He wants to curl next to her warmth one more time.
Edward, too. And Al. He wants to see them act like real kids. To dream and play and be happy. They need to see that there's more than blood and pain and disappointment, that there are good things left in the world.
And Roy. Gods, Roy. Who never bends, only breaks. Who still can't forgive himself. He'll think this is his fault, too. Maes is sure of it.
Roy will stack up the guilt until he's buried in it. And Maes won't be there to dig him out.
There are so many things Maes still needs to say. Secrets he's kept close to his heart. Things Roy ought to know anyway, but they are always better admitted aloud.
Maes had promised; they'd promised. Straight to the top. He'd support Roy all the way, but now... now he can't. Who's going to stand there in his place? Who understands what Roy is really trying to accomplish but Maes?
He just wants to see Roy smile again, without that edge of shattered sorrow. He wants to see the light in Roy's eyes. He wants to say all the things he should have said before.
Maes can't die. Not yet. But he is. Can feel the heat seeping out of him, into the cold stone ground. Can hear each plip of blood, slowing with his heartbeat.
He's tired. Eyes drooping.
Footsteps are fading into the distance; his useless knife clatters to the ground. So useless.
He wants to scream, yell, cry, but he's numb. He's numb and he's cold and he's broken. Maes knows he ought to pray, but he won't get the one thing he wants.
They need him. Maes can't leave.
But he knows the truth more than anyone. When the darkness closes over him, he knows he's already gone.
* * *
a/n: I've got at least nine more ficlets on the way, but they need to be typed up, finished, and spiffied up. So they'll trickle onto the LJ over the next few weeks.
Feedback is always welcome and appreciated.
