Songs For The Soulless (A FullMetal Alchemist AU Fan Fiction)

Chapter Eight

The clouds were gray and loomed ominously above Central City. Hardly anyone walked the streets, with those who did walking hurriedly to escape the threat of a downpour. Hidden in one of the few parks scattered across the city, however, was one Edward Elric. Sheltered underneath a small pavilion meant for birthday parties and family gatherings, he sat. A plastic case rested next to him, sleek and fitted to the instrument it so carefully held inside. Nobody else was at the park, parents keeping their children behind closed doors where it was dry and warm. Here, nestled in the lush greenery of the trees, with the scent of petrichor filling his noise, Ed was comfortable. He had been exposed to far more inclement weather as a child, and even the chilling gusts of wind and the rain starting to sprinkle down did nothing to persuade Edward to seek shelter. One hand tapped absently on the plastic beside him, the impacts forming some sort of half-formed rhythm. 

For a while longer, Ed just took in his environment, before he finally opened the silver clasps of the case and carefully extracted the guitar from within its nestlings. 

C, G, Am, Am, C, G, Am, Am...

"Well, mama told me, when I was young. Said, "Come sit beside me, my oldest* son. And listen closely to what I say. And if you do this, it'll help you some sunny day.

"Oh, take your time, don't live too fast; troubles will come and they will pass. You'll find a woman, and you'll find love, and don't forget son, there is someone up above."

There was a wistful smile on Ed's face.

"And be a simple kind of man. Oh, be something you love and understand. Baby be a simple kind of man. Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can?"

"Forget your lust for the rich man's gold; all that you need is in your soul. And you can do this, oh baby, if you try. All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied."

"And be a simple kind of man, oh, be something you love and understand. Baby be a simple kind of man. Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can?" "Oh yes, I will."

"Boy, don't you worry, you'll find yourself; follow your heart and nothing else, and you can do this, oh baby, if you try. All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied."

"And be a simple kind of man, oh, be something you love and understand. Baby be a simple kind of man, oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can?"

"Baby, be a simple, really simple man. Oh, be something you love and understand.
Baby, be a simple, kind of simple man."

Edward sat there for a while after he finished his short tribute to his mother, absently strumming the strings and not particularly playing anything. When he walked into his and Alphonse's shared apartment an hour later, soaked to the bone from the return walk, he suffered his brother's exasperated berating as he was shooed to go take a warm shower and clean up.  Life, he decided, might not be too bad.

The thought lasted all of three seconds before Ed's metal foot managed to slide itself out from under him on the slick surface of the shower floor and he stumbled backward into the wall, groaning and then exclaiming angrily as he heard his younger brother stifling laughter from across the hall.

Brothers, he thought with a slightly irked smile as thunder shook the building. Traitors, the lot of them.

--589 Words--

A cute ending to this chapter for y'all!!! I hope you enjoy! If you have song requests for Edward to sing, just PM or comment them down below!!