Convergence | Prologue
Prologue | One
Somewhere In This World
Earth, 2005, A.D.
"Ready?" The boy with the long bangs asked his two younger siblings, who in turn, nodded a "yes".
They looked at each other-barely containing their excitement-and sucked in as much air as their little lungs could hold.
"Happy birthday!" The trio shouted with all their might.
Edward had been cooped up in the family den, his heart and soul wandering in the past, when he heard the children. He left behind the comfort of his chair, but not before leaving the photograph he had in hand (the one that showed his love for Alphonse) nestled between the coffee cup and his gray journal.
His crinkled face stretched with a smile at the sight of their bright faces. He couldn't deny that the occurrences of his great great grandchildren had a way to lighten the heavy load of his tired soul.
Songs were sang, candles were blown and a wish was made; Edward's great great grandchildren were shocked to learn about his age.
The joyful celebration was over before long, kids tend to lose all interest in adults after having cake. Edward made sure that they were kept busy at play before retiring to his room.
The smile that he had been wearing faded the moment he closed the door behind him. Edward rotated his right shoulder, the automail felt so heavy nowadays. He grunted as he worked on loosening the knots of his marred muscles. It was a task that did little for his aches and pains, but he would pay a steeper price if he didn't stretch.
Edward sat on the edge of the bed after finishing the routine. He was flexing the metal digits, one by-one, when he caught a glint of light from the corner of his eyes. He traced the source; a ray of sunshine was passing through a slit in the curtains, bouncing off the shiny display of his iPod Photo, stamping a rectangle of white light on the far wall. He picked up the modern device from the nightstand but he put the MP3 player back; something else had captured his attention.
Edward got off the bed and knelt in front of the small table. He pull open the bottom drawer and took a long security box from it. He struggled to get back up; the arthritis in right hip and knee flared right away. But it was nothing that some expletives could fix. It took him a brief moment to get back on his feet. Edward placed the security box on the bed, and punched in the four-number combination passcode. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and his heartbeat double, pumping in anticipation as he waited for the lock mechanism to disengage.
It had been years since the last time he had opened that box-his treasure box.
When Edward opened the box, he pushed around military documentation and some slide transparencies. He set aside the movie reel containing his favorite film. At last, he found what he was looking for.
Edward sat next to the security box with an old Polaroid in hand. The folds of his wrinkled forehead deepened when he discovered the terrible state in which the backside of the photograph was in. He could barely make the words written on it: Liberty Island, 1941. Always yours. -xoxo-
Always yours… Edward repeated in his head, just as he flipped over the Polaroid.
His golden eyes flickered and his chest swelled with nostalgia for the young blonde posing in front of Lady Liberty.
Edward chuckled; he always thought that red looked good on her. It was the way the color brought out the blue in her eyes, making them look even more majestic than the sky itself.
Winry…
Edward closed his eyes when they began stinging, and his face broke into a loving smile when the memory of her laughter resounded inside his head.
It had been a wonderful late summer day in New York City-one of the best in his entire life-and he was ever so grateful to have spend it with his childhood friend-
The love of his life.