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Rarely had Resembool seen the level of excitement building that late spring weekend. Seven years had passed since The Promised Day and the return of the fully-restored Elric brothers to the sleepy village. The last major buzz in town had occurred when visitors flooded into town for the wedding of Edward Elric to automail engineer Winry Rockbell. Now familiar faces poured back into town for another celebratory occasion: the nuptials of one Alphonse Elric to the Xingese princess, Mei Chang.
The Rockbell family home and automail shop was bustling with more activity than ever. It was the night before Alphonse’s wedding, and the kitchen was full. Alphonse sat at the table chatting with Edward, Mei, Roy Mustang, and Riza Hawkeye. Elicia Hughes, now a half-grown girl of ten, played on the sitting room floor with Yuriy, the eldest of the two Elric children. At three and a half, the boy was constantly on the move, looking for things to do and driving his parents crazy with his affinity for dirt and oil in the shop.
Winry chatted with Gracia Hughes while balancing their second child, daughter Trisha on her hip. The eighteen-month-old had regressed to fighting her naps, making her a handful the later the evening progressed. But she didn’t stop either of the women from cooking easily for the crowd, the scent of home baked bread and stew filling the house.
“Emperor Ling sends his regrets that he’s not able to be here,” Mei explained patiently for the third time. “But he simply couldn’t be away from Xing for the time needed to travel.”
Edward leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands behind his head. “One of these days, I’ll pack Winry and the kids up so we can go pay him a visit. I kinda miss the ol’ bastard.”
“You’re just saying that because you’re not stuck paying his room service bill anymore,” Alphonse retorted.
“You said it,” Ed replied cheekily. “Now that he’s emperor, he can pay his own damn tab.”
Roy chuckled. “Some things never change, do they, Fullmetal?”
“Nah, and I’m glad about that,” the blond replied. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “So, tell me. Anything new from Central? I hear Grumman’s running a tight ship.”
Mustang’s eyebrow twitched. “Not much worth noting. I had a report from Mrs. Bradley that Grumman’s continuing to do a yearly check-in with Selim to ensure he’s growing naturally and not showing any signs of unwanted behavior. So far, nothing’s turned up.”
“Any word on when he might be looking to retire?” Alphonse asked curiously. “He is getting up there in years.”
“Don’t let him hear you say that,” Riza advised, a slight smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “You’d never hear the end of it.”
Roy smirked. “Let’s just say that an announcement will be coming in the near future, and leave it at that.”
“Are we to expect any other announcements?” Winry joined the conversation long enough to plop their toddler in Ed’s lap. “She needs a change before dinner, by the way.”
“You always leave me with the stinky jobs,” he complained. With a sigh, he wrinkled his nose, stood and carried his daughter down the hall for a fresh diaper.
“What sort of announcement were you hoping for?” Riza said carefully, glancing at Winry.
“The kind that explains the slight fullness to your cheeks and Roy’s hand not leaving your back since you arrived,” Gracia called from her spot in front of the stove.
“Leave it to the women to figure out before we can even say a damn word,” Mustang groused without any venom.
“What did the women figure out?” Edward returned with Trisha sitting happily on his shoulders, tugging on his ponytail.
“That Riza is pregnant,” Mei said with a wide grin. “Congratulations you two!”
“Thank you,” Riza said, her face flushed from the attention.
Ed’s mouth fell open, then he smirked. “It’s about time you started to catch up,” he taunted. “Thought you guys would never get married and start a family.”
“You forget, Fullmetal, that we’ve been married longer than you have. Only difference is that we’ve had to hide it from the military,” Roy snapped.
“Yeah, because you refuse to give up your subordinate,” Ed challenged, crossing his arms over his chest. “Admit it, you like ordering her around, don’t you?”
“Boys! Enough!” Winry put her hands on her hips and scowled at the group. “Can’t you last one evening without devolving into petty arguments? It’s the night before Al and Mei’s wedding! Try to be nice to each other.”
“I am being nice!” Ed protested. “It’s not my fault the damn colonel brings out the worst in me!”
“Seven years and you’re still the petulant, argumentative kid you were before,” Roy said, shaking his head at him.
Ed’s retort was cut off by Trisha’s screech and yanking on his hair. She was getting hungry and fussy, and didn’t like being ignored. He sighed and lifted her off his shoulders, turning his attention to the little blonde girl, bouncing her on his lap until she giggled again.
“Being a family man suits you,” Riza observed with a soft smile. “How’s it feel, now that you’ve been out of the military for so long?”
“Finally got into the groove of being home regularly,” Edward replied, keeping his eyes trained on Trisha. “I never realized how much time I’d spent away until I had to find ways to occupy my days. That’s when Winry started teaching me how to tinker with automail. Especially when she was pregnant with Trisha, she needed all the help she could get with her customers.”
“Why didn’t you just reduce the number of people she was seeing during that time window?” The curious question came from Roy.
“Easy. Because they’re friends as well as people bringing in business.” Winry brought the pot of stew to the table, with Gracia on her heels with the sliced fresh bread. “Automail doesn’t stop needing maintenance just because I got pregnant. Even with Ed’s automail leg, he still has to make adjustments to it regularly or it’ll get stiff.”
“What are you going to do when I’m not around to spar with you regularly?” Al teased, lightly punching him in the shoulder.
“Oh, shut up. I managed just fine while you were in Xing wooing the princess,” Ed shot back. “Or was she wooing you?”
Mei giggled. “I think it was a little of both, actually. Not that it matters anymore.”
Roy slid his arm further around his wife’s shoulders. “You’re not moving to Xing, are you, Alphonse?”
The young man shook his head. “No. After Ling was crowned emperor, there was really no reason for Mei to stay there. We talked for a long time about what we wanted to do when we got married, and we agreed that we wanted to move to Ishval and help teach them about alkahestry while their nation rebuilds.”
“Alphonse has gotten quite good at performing alkahestry,” Mei said proudly. “And Scar will be working as our liaison with the military to help make sure they’re not giving us any grief.”
Riza’s brow furrowed. “I thought he was going by a new name at this point.”
“He is, but I’ll always know him as Mr. Scar,” Mei explained. “The new one just doesn’t fit him very well.”
Winry plucked Yuriy up from the floor, ignoring his protests and deposited him into his seat beside her at the table. Elicia took the seat on his other side, whispering loudly about how they’d get to play more after they had their supper.
Conversation died down as the group passed the food around, filling their plates, and soon their stomachs.
“Oh, I forgot to ask. Have you heard from Teacher at all?” Alphonse asked Ed. “It’s been such a whirlwind getting the last of the stuff packed for our move.”
“Teacher said she wouldn’t miss it, so either she’s getting in on the last train tonight, or she’ll be here in the morning.” Ed huffed. “She’s been late but she didn’t miss the other important events when we needed her.”
“We saw Major Armstrong before we left Central. He’s coming in on the first train, with General Armstrong,” Riza commented. “Since the ceremony isn’t til three, it’ll give plenty of time for them to get in and settle.”
“Mommy. I don’ wanna dress up tomawhoa!” Yuriy’s whine interrupted the adult conversation. “Can I stay wif you?”
“We’re all dressing up,” Ed reminded him. “Even me and Mommy. It won’t be all day. Just a bit over the late afternoon and then we’ll be able to go home.”
“Is Auntie ‘Licia gunna pway some more?” Yuriy asked.
“Of course I am,” she assured him, ruffling his hair. “Didn’t they tell you that you’ve got an important job tomorrow?”
He nodded solemnly as only a three year old could. “I haveta take the wings to Unca Al.”
“That’s right! And Trisha is going to scatter flower petals on the path,” Winry explained patiently. “It’ll only be for a few minutes.”
Yuriy stuck out his lip then gnawed on his bread, the gears clearly turning in his head. “Then I pway with Auntie ‘Licia again?”
“Of course,” Elicia said after finishing her mouthful of stew. “We’ll have lots of fun playing outside.”
Winry looked up from helping feed Trisha so the toddler wouldn’t wear all of her soup. “Yuriy, just a reminder, you’re getting a bath tonight. Auntie Elicia has agreed to play with you and help keep you clean tomorrow.” She looked over and mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ to the girl.
Gracia nudged her daughter so Elicia would acknowledge Winry. “Oh, sorry. Glad to help!” Elicia chirped happily.
“So Ed, did you ever get over your hatred for milk?” Alphonse teased.
“Oh, he still won’t drink it by the glass, but he has stopped complaining about it being in things like Granny’s stew,” Winry answered before he had a chance to open his mouth.
The table fell momentarily quiet, acknowledging the void left by the departed matriarch. Pinako Rockbell had passed in her sleep a month prior, bringing a temporary halt to the wedding planning.
“Granny always did have the best recipes,” Alphonse said fondly. “I remember her fussing at me about how I needed to eat more when Ed and I got our bodies back.”
Edward chuckled. “Bantering with her was fun. She was shorter than I was, and still called me little, just to get my ire up.”
“Not like you’re all that tall now, Fullmetal,” Roy smirked.
“Hey, at least I’m not useless in water,” Ed retorted.
Mustang gritted his teeth. “You just had to go there, didn’t you?”
Ed shrugged and like that, the lighter mood returned along with the chatter around the table. Winry was the first to bow out after supper, taking both of her children down the hall for their baths. Gracia and Elicia shooed Mei away from the kitchen, making quick work of the cleanup, leaving the two remaining couples and Ed to converse around the table.
“How’s it feel, knowing tomorrow you’re no longer going to be ‘Mei Chang, Princess of Xing’ but ‘Mei Elric, wife of Alphonse Elric’?” Riza asked, smiling at her.
“Strange but it’s been a long time in the making. I couldn’t have chosen a better man to fall in love with.” Mei rested her head on his shoulder.
Alphonse blushed. “I got really lucky, that’s all! But I’m really glad it’s tomorrow. The anticipation is driving me crazy!”
“C’mon, Al. We all know the real reason you’re excited. You can’t wait for the honeymoon when you can take her and--” Ed found himself staring at the silvery glint of a kunai in front of his nose.
“You really don’t want to finish that sentence,” Mei said with a saccharine sweetness.
“Never mind,” Edward choked, wisely clamming up. “I’m going to check on Winry and the kids.” He stood and carefully stepped around the table, avoiding Mei and her kunai.
Riza stifled a yawn. “Forgive me. I don’t know why I’m tired so early now.”
“It comes with pregnancy,” Gracia gently explained. “Rest while you can. The little one will be here soon enough, and you won’t get much rest for quite some time.”
“Right.” Mustang stood and offered his wife an arm. “We’d better start walking back to the inn before we get too weary then.”
“That would probably be wise,” Riza agreed.
“Tell Fullmetal we’ll see him in the morning.” Roy and Riza said their goodnights to the Hughes ladies and the engaged couple before stepping out into the night.
Alphonse and Mei shared a long embrace and several kisses before Mei disappeared into the automail repair room for bed. The shop had been temporarily transformed from the bustling hub of activity to a more tranquil room, only to be entered by the women involved in the wedding festivities.
Alphonse paused in the door of the children’s bedroom and spoke in a low voice. “The Mustangs send their well wishes, and they’ll see us in the morning. Gracia and Elicia are setting up in Granny’s room. I’m heading to bed too.”
Winry looked up from the rocker, Trisha passed out on her chest. Ed sat on the floor beside her chair, his hand resting on his wife’s knee. Yuriy was asleep on his mattress, limbs splayed with his stomach out, just like Ed slept as a child.
“That brings back memories,” Alphonse gestured to his nephew. “I lost count of how many times I saw you sleeping like that… especially when I’d lost my body and couldn’t sleep during the night.”
Ed’s eyes drifted to his son. “Sleeping is about the only time he stops moving.”
“Really makes you stop and think,” Al murmured. “He’s getting so big already.”
“Just wait til you and Mei are having kids,” Winry said softly. “Changes your world.”
“Boy, does it,” Ed agreed, rubbing his leg where the automail limb attached to his stump. “In the best possible ways though.”
“I better get to bed before I start daydreaming about babies with Mei,” Al said with a slight laugh. “Goodnight Ed. Goodnight Winry.”
“‘Night, Al.” Ed waved him off. He looked over at his wife. “Think she’ll go down easily?”
Winry hummed softly, shifting to the front of the seat. Ed held the rocking chair still so it wouldn’t hit her while she stood. The toddler in her arms stirred slightly, but didn’t wake when Winry laid her down in the crib.
“Won’t be long til we’re putting her to bed on a mattress like Yuriy,” she observed, pausing by the door where her husband waited for her.
“Haven’t had an empty crib in a long time,” he remarked, slipping his arms around her waist. He pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead while they watched their two children sleep.
“And we won’t for a while longer,” Winry whispered, pulling his hand down to feel the gentle swell of her stomach.
“Again? How long have you known?” Edward asked, turning her to face him.
“I found out a week before Granny… She was the one to figure it out when I felt sick cooking bacon for breakfast.” Tears welled up in Winry’s eyes. “I’ll never forget what she said. She looked me in the eye and said ‘You tell that husband of yours that if he even thinks about naming a daughter after me, I’ll serve him in stew like the shrimp he is!’ I think she knew she was dying, Ed.”
He laughed in spite of himself, brushing away a tear from his eye. “Stubborn old woman. That’s exactly the kind of thing she would say.” He realized they were still in the doorway of their children’s room and he took her by the hand, leading her backward across the hall to their bedroom. “You think it’s a girl?”
“I haven’t had the time to sit down and see if I get a feeling for this child, like I did with Yuriy and Trisha. But if it is, I think Granny would haunt us if we named a baby after her.”
“Maybe we can use it as a middle name, if it’s another girl,” Ed mused, tugging his shirt off in preparation for bed. “She couldn’t spite us for that.”
Winry giggled and sat on the edge of the bed. “I was going to tell you tomorrow night, after all the wedding stuff was over. But the opportunity arose tonight, and I wanted you to know.”
Ed joined her, tugging her against his chest for a hug. He chuckled and laid them back against the bed. “You know we’re gonna be outnumbered.”
“At least it’ll never be boring?” Winry pointed out.
“With you? Never.” Edward kissed her. “Guess we’ve got another thing to one-up the colonel with.”
“Is that all this is to you?” she protested, pulling away hard. “Some stupid competition to make you feel like more of a man since you don’t have your alchemy anymore? Dammit, Edward! This is our family we’re talking about and--”
He cut her off with another kiss. “I was kidding, Winry! Sheesh, you should know me better than that by now.”
Her mouth fell open and she went to argue, but her husband was faster, pressing a finger against her lips. “Enough talking. We’ve got a long day tomorrow, but right now we’ve got reason to celebrate. You’re having another baby, and I haven’t properly congratulated you yet.”
Winry sighed softly then turned off the oil to the lamp, allowing it to flicker out. Some things never changed, and Edward’s elation over new life was something she cherished. Even if it meant losing a little sleep.
Dawn brought the usual morning chaos for the Elric household and then some. Edward groaned as he hit the ground running, with no end in sight. An emergency load of laundry was started when it was discovered Yuriy had wet the bed in the night. Into the bathtub went the three year old again, this time under his father’s watchful eye.
Winry got Trisha changed and dressed in a light sundress, leaving her to Elicia’s care while she bounced between the shop to assist Mei with starting on her hair and makeup and helping Gracia make brunch for the group. Fortunately, the town of Resembool had rallied to show their support of the Elrics once more, shouldering the responsibilities of providing food and the cake for the wedding that afternoon.
“Slow down, you’re gonna make yourself sick,” Edward advised, stopping her long enough for a brief kiss.
“Stop worrying, Ed! I’ll be fine,” she insisted. “Besides, it’s not like these things will do themselves if I don’t help take care of them.”
“Daddy! Twisha did a BIG poop all over the dwess!” Yuriy tore into the room to inform them. “Auntie ‘Licia says she needs help.”
“All yours, babe. Mei’s freaking out because one of her braids came undone, and even fixed, it’s not wanting to stay in place. We’ve got countless pins and curls to do still.” Winry kissed his forehead. “Thanks for your help.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Edward pretended to grumble. “Where’s Al?”
“Last I saw him, he said something about paying his respects to your parents and Granny before the wedding, so my guess is the cemetery,” Winry called over her shoulder, disappearing into her shop.
Fifteen minutes later, Ed had the two children seated at the kitchen table to happily eat pancakes and apple slices with Gracia and Elicia. After checking for the third time that they were sure they didn’t need him, he ducked outside to go find his brother.
As expected, Alphonse was in the cemetery, kneeling in front of their parent’s graves, but he wasn’t alone. Izumi and Sig Curtis stood with him, conversing with Al in a low voice. Ed watched his brother brush the back of his hand across his face as he approached.
“Teacher! Did you get in okay?” he asked, jogging up to them. “Everything okay, Al?”
“Yes, actually. Teacher was just explaining to me how Dad helped rearrange her organs to help her feel better at one point when their paths crossed. Good ol’ Dad.” Al sniffled. “I thought you’d be with the kids?”
“Gracia’s giving them pancakes at the house while Winry helps Mei get ready. Something about braids and curls. I didn’t stick around to find out,” Edward shrugged, giving Izumi a surprise hug.
“What the hell, Edward?! You’re growing soft in your old age, aren’t you?” Izumi tried to sound cross, but there was no venom in her words.
“Oh yeah? If I’m old, that means you must be ancient and hard of hearing,” he retorted.
“What did you just call me? I’m afraid I didn’t catch that,” she said with a threatening aura.
“Only that you were the best teacher we could ever ask for,” Al supplied with a winning smile.
“Let’s continue this when we’re not in the cemetery,” Sig said, reminding them of their location.
“Come back to the house. There’s plenty of food,” Ed invited. “Al, have you eaten yet?”
“No, but it feels like I’ve got a knot in my stomach the size of Amestris,” he replied with a laugh. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to eat.”
“Try anyway,” Izumi advised. “It won’t do for you to collapse in front of your wife from hunger.”
“It’s one meal being missed,” Alphonse protested. “I’m not going to pass out from that.”
“No, because you’re not skipping the meal,” Izumi stated, leaving no room for argument. She took Al by the elbow and dragged him towards the house, leaving Ed and Sig to follow at a more leisurely pace.
Two hours later, Winry was hustling Edward, Alphonse and Yuriy out the door for the walk to where the wedding was being held. Several years prior, the Elric brothers had painstakingly removed all the debris left on the property where their childhood home once resided, allowing nature to take its course. The hilltop was covered in grass, the trees nearby revitalized and heavy with sakura blossoms. A nearby field had been set up with food tables and an area for the wedding gifts.
Edward lifted Yuriy onto his shoulders, grunting as the three year old settled into place. “You’ve got the pillow?”
Yuriy bopped him in the face with it as a reply. “Yep! Mama sewed the wings on WEALLY good.”
Ed and Al exchanged an amused glance with Al subtly patting the breast pocket of his blue button-down shirt. None of them felt confident trusting the child with the real rings, but Al easily solved this by creating a pair of rings using alchemy and Yuriy was none the wiser.
“You still nervous?” Edward asked with a grin. “You’ve known Mei for years.”
“Weren’t you nervous when you walked down the aisle? I seem to recall you moaning about how you were afraid your legs were going to give out,” he replied, socking his brother in the arm.
“Hey, shut up, alright? At least that wasn’t as bad as when Winry was giving birth to Yuriy.” Ed let out a self-deprecating laugh, his blond braid flipping over his shoulder as he shook his head. “I was better with Trisha though.”
“Well, you knew what to expect the second time,” Alphonse said wisely. “I wonder how I’ll react when our turn comes.”
“With your alkahestry training combined with your alchemy? You’ll have no troubles at all,” Ed assured him.
“We’ll have plenty of time to think about it though.” He blew out his breath. “Wow, there’s a lot of people already here.”
“Second biggest wedding Resembool has seen in the last five years. Of course everyone’s here.” Ed’s eyes swept over the throng of people gathered. “Granny should’ve been here,” he said almost to himself.
“I spent a few minutes talking to her before visiting with Mom and Dad,” Al admitted. “She always did like Mei. Hell, I was sitting at the table with her over dinner one night and Granny looked me straight in the eyes, turned to Mei and said, ‘You’re too good for him. You know that don’t you?’ And you know what Mei’s response was?”
“Did she laugh?”
“She did! She laughed and said that I was too good for her. Imagine that. A Xingese princess thought a kid from a rural town in Amestris who spent half his childhood as a soul bonded to a suit of armor was ‘too good’ for her to marry.” Al shook his head in awe.
Ed pulled Yuriy down off his shoulders and chuckled. “It was meant to be. Since before the Promised Day. Just promise me you’ll bring her to visit. It’s not as easy to travel once you’ve got kids to pack for and bring everywhere.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Alphonse hugged him. “Thanks for letting them be a part of the wedding though. It means a lot to both Mei and I.”
“I don’t think Winry would’ve given me the chance to say ‘no’, even if I wanted to,” Ed said wryly. “I just hope they behave.”
“Whether they do or not, it’ll still be really sweet, and a great memory to look back on.” Al sighed contentedly.
“Ed! Where’s Yuriy?” Winry ran up to them, the curls hanging around her face bouncing. Most of her hair was swept up in a fancy knot, and she wore a sleeveless sakura pink dress that flowed to her ankles.
“He’s right… Dammit, where’d he go? He was here a second ago!”
“Take Trisha, I’ll look for him. I just hope he hasn’t gotten himself dirty.” Winry handed him their daughter and slipped away, weaving through the crowd.
“He can’t have gotten far,” Al reasoned. “You just set him down long enough to give me a hug.”
“Doesn’t mean he wouldn’t make a beeline straight for the food or a mudhole. That boy is a magnet for trouble,” Edward groaned. He took his first real look at Trisha since being handed her. The teething toddler had her hand shoved into her mouth, happily sucking on the end of his braid. “You’re lucky you’re so damn cute,” he grumbled, deciding it was worth keeping the peace for her to suck on it a little longer.
Elicia was the one to find him two anxiety-filled minutes later. Yuriy was surprisingly clean, though Elicia’s cheeks were pink as she brought him back to Ed. “He had his pants down and was peeing at the base of the tree closest to where the priest would stand. He didn’t care about everyone being around.”
Edward rubbed a hand over his face. “Of course he did. Thank you, Elicia. We owe you, again.”
She giggled. “Don’t mention it. I’ll see you after the ceremony.”
Winry returned then, leaving Ed to repeat where Elicia had found Yuriy and what he’d been doing. The former alchemist worked on extricating his now-dripping braid from Trisha’s mouth while his wife addressed their son.
“EDWARD ELRIC! Are you starting a new fashion trend? Allow me to be the first to say, half-soaked hair doesn’t suit you!” Major Armstrong’s booming voice preceded his presence by mere seconds before the blond was caught in the muscular man’s embrace.
“Wasn’t intentional,” Ed squeaked, fighting for breath in the tight hug. “Hi, Major. Good to see you again.”
“It’s been far too long since you’ve made your way to Central! Allow me to issue a personal invitation for you to return!” Alex Louise Armstrong turned to Winry. “Miss Winry! You’re looking unusually fancy and glowing today!”
Winry straightened, her grip firm on Yuriy’s hand. “Good to see you again, Major. Is General Armstrong here too?” She picked up her son, forcing the man to be more gentle in his hug to her.
“She’s here. She’s choosing a place for us to stand. I say, Edward, who’s escorting Princess Chang down the aisle? Is it you?” The major turned an inquisitive eye to him.
“Nobody, sir. She’s walking down by herself. Her family declined to attend after she chose to leave Xing for Alphonse,” Ed explained. “She didn’t want anyone to stand up with her either, so the children will play their roles and then come back to us.”
“Very good! We’ll see you after the ceremony then!” Major Armstrong clapped him on the back hard enough to knock his breath out of him.
“Priest’s in place. Gracia should be here any moment with Mei. Oh, wait til you see her, Ed! She looks gorgeous,” Winry breathed, finally pausing long enough to take a good look at her husband. “What happened to your braid?!”
“Trisha.”
She sighed. “Here. Let me straighten out her dress and give her the basket she needs.”
“Is Yuriy going to stay close to her while they walk?” Ed raised an eyebrow at her.
“I doubt it, but we’re going to try.” Winry crouched in front of the children, giving them final instructions.
A makeshift aisle had been created, allowing Ed to see the priest and Alphonse who wrung his hands nervously. A nod from the priest instructed them that they were ready to begin.
Ed bit the edge of his hand as he watched his son and daughter start the walk from the back of the aisle toward their uncle. Yuriy’s chest was puffed out with pride as he carried the pillow in one hand, his other clenched around his sister’s basket. Eighteen month old Trisha wasn’t even holding her basket, a fist in her mouth, the other periodically grabbing a huge handful of sakura petals and unceremoniously dumping them onto the ground at her feet.
A cacophony of ‘awws’ rose from the wedding guests, putting a wide toothy grin on Yuriy’s face. “Hey Unca Al! I got da wings for you!” he exclaimed as they got close.
“You did? Oh, thanks, Yuriy!” Alphonse bent and took great care retrieving the pillow from his nephew.
“You haveta take ‘em off the pillow,” he instructed solemnly.
“You got it, buddy. Can you take your sister back to your Mom and Dad now? Thank you for your help. You did a great job!” Al said, giving him a hug.
“C’mon, Twisha. Time to see Mommy and Daddy.” Yuriy tugged his sister along, almost dragging her back down the aisle.
Alphonse watched as they got back to the end of the aisle into Ed and Winry’s waiting arms. Then he saw her, and he forgot to breathe.
Princess Mei Chang of Xing was dressed in a traditional Eastern style white dress that touched the ground. Pink sakura blossom embroidery decorated the bottom hem and sleeves. Her hair was down and curled, with a wreath of braids along the top to capture a hint of her more standard look. A faint blush stained her cheeks as her eyes met Al’s.
She walked forward, forgetting all the guests and everything except him. Then she reached him, and placed her hand in his, and everything was right with the world.
Edward picked up Yuriy and put him on his shoulders. He watched Alphonse and Mei take their turns saying their vows, their eyes shining with love and excitement. “Y’know, I think it was all worth it.”
“What was?” Winry asked, shifting Trisha to her other hip so she could take Ed’s hand.
“Everything we endured. Attempting human transmutation. Traveling all over Amestris in search of getting our bodies back. Facing that so-called ‘Father’. Discovering the truth. All of it led to where we are today. Look around us, Winry. Our parents and Granny may be gone now, but we’re surrounded with family and friends.”
Winry’s eyes welled up with tears. “You dummy! You said something similar during our wedding reception. Don’t you remember?”
“Apparently not,” Ed admitted with a laugh. “But the sentiment still rings true.”
Alphonse and Mei shared their first kiss as husband and wife, and Ed’s heart was full. His brother was married to the love of his life. He himself had married his childhood friend and now had their third child on the way. He might not have alchemy, but he didn’t need it. He had everything he needed right where he was, at home in Resembool.