My holiday’s over, I’m back and will fulfil the popular request of a sequel. The fact that so many readers asked for one made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Oh, and the title is over-dramatic again. Based off a line from an Evanescence song.

Well, this is, clearly, about regaining Ed… um… Pride’s memories.

The pairings have changed. Still RoyEd, but now there’s some (okay, a lot) EnvyPride!Ed too, though it’s one-sided. And angst galore.

Anyways, I’ll get on with it.

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REFLECTIONS

CHAPTER ONE

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Dublith. The city where Izumi Cutis taught three bright, young pupils.

Today, only two were returning.

“No memories at all, Pride?” Envy asked hopefully.

“None,” Pride replied, bored. “It’s a nice place, though.”

Sighing, Envy grabbed Pride’s hand, leading the blushing blonde towards the hot city.

“Ennnnvy! Why is it so warm here?” Pride whined. “And why do I have to wear leather pants? Not to mention this stupid black jacket!”

“Because, Pride, I don’t want too much attention drawn to us,” Envy murmured.

“But you’re still wearing the same things…” Pride muttered, sulking.

‘He’s turned into even more of a baby,’ Envy thought, rolling his eyes.

“Pride, shut up.”

Pride fumed silently.

‘At least he obeys me now.’

Sighing, Envy dropped Pride’s hand. Up ahead, he spotted the familiar house.

“Welcome back to hell… Edo,” he whispered under his breath.

“Izumi lives here,” Envy said. “Ring any bells?”

Pride shook his head, his blonde hair flying around wildly.

Envy hesitantly walked up to the door ready to knock when…

“ENVY ELRIC!”

Envy flinched. There, standing in all her glory, was Izumi Curtis. And she was clearly pissed off.

“Yo, Izumi,” Envy said, casually. Behind him, Pride cowered.

SMACK! Envy was lifted into the air by the force of the kick. Flying back, he landed roughly on the ground.

“Envy!” Pride cried, running to help him.

Groaning, Envy sat up, a hand pressed to his forehead. He looked up, find a fraction of worry in blank, golden eyes. Eyes so alike to Ed’s, yet so hauntingly different.

“I’m fine…”

“Edward, you too?” Izumi cried, stomping over to Pride.

“Izumi, wait!”

“…who’s Edward?”

Izumi blinked in surprise. Shouldn’t Ed be getting into a fighting stance? Yell even?

“Izumi… he lost his memory,” Envy said quietly.

To the surprise of both teenagers, Izumi pulled Pride into a motherly-hug.

“Poor child,” she whispered. Pulling back, she beckoned them inside.

“C’mon,” Envy said, walking after his former teacher.

Pride nodded, rushing after Envy.

Izumi surveyed Ed as he sat down next to Envy. There was no sign of confidence, no sign of great respect for the woman he used to admire, to look up to, the one he used to call “teacher” with such burning respect and ambition to better.

When their eyes had met earlier, everything became clear.

His eyes, like pools of honey caught in sun of determination, were blank. No emotions were evident; his eyes were glaciers.

“Izumi, this is Pride,” Envy announced as the dread-locked housewife entered the room again. He hated the name rolling off his tongue. Pride was the cause of all this; Envy’s own pride, the search for Pride, the Pride Ed had unwillingly become. Pride was indeed the deadliest of sins.

“Pride, huh?” Izumi said, cocking an eyebrow.

“That’s what the Gate said,” Pride muttered. Izumi’s keen ears picked t up instantly.

“Gate? You saw it again?” she hissed.

Pride’s eyes widened, still showing no emotion. Izumi judged him to be afraid by his defensive grip on himself.

He definitely wasn’t Ed. It was like another soul had claimed the boy of Edward Elric.

“…I saw it before? What do you know of it?” Pride asked, his soft voice shaky.

He could never be Edward Elric. He wasn’t a worth replacement.

“Izumi, maybe you should sit down,” Envy suggested.

Izumi shook her head. “In a minute, I’ll be right back.”

Pride looked taken back, until Envy squeezed his hand supportively. Relaxing, Pride gazed lazily around the stone kitchen.

“Izumi was our teacher for two years. She was like a second mother to you…” Envy explained.

“What happened to my real mother then?”

Envy’s eyes widened briefly before he hung his head, eyes filling with tears.

“E-E-Envy?” Pride squeaked, grabbing the pale arm closest. “I’m hurting you again… aren’t I? Envy?”

Izumi watched the exchange from the kitchen, surprised to find that her own eyes were watering. Brushing her eyes, she scowled. Now wasn’t the time.

Stomping back out to the kitchen, Izumi sat herself opposite them.

“I want you to tell me everything. Every little detail,” Izumi commanded.

“I can’t remember every detail…” Pride murmured.

“You’d better START remembering, boy!” Izumi snapped. Pride nodded frantically, eyes wide.

“I can’t… I can’t talk about all of it, Izumi,” Envy said quietly, hands clenched. “All you need to know is I made a mistake, and he gave everything to fix it.”

Izumi’s eyes narrowed. “And his leg? What did he give for that?”

“Pride, take your tops off.”

Pride’s face became a tribute to tomatoes.

“No!”

“Do I have to rip ‘em off?” Envy growled.

“Pervert!”

“Who isn’t these days?” Envy snorted, swiftly unzipping Pride’s jacket and grabbing the collar of his tank-top.

“ENVY’S TRYING TO RAPE ME! HELP TEACHER!” Pride shrieked as Envy’s spare hand pulled the jacket off. Almost instantly after, Pride pulled back.

Ripping silence Pride’s shrieks. The short teen tumbled from his chair, leaving half of his tank-top in Envy’s “care”.

“ENVY! YOU BASTARD!” Pride yelled, sounding momentarily like Ed.

“I warned you,” Envy said, tossing the tattered remains aside. “Get up.”

Pride pouted.

“Quit being a baby, you’re fifteen and should be angst-ridden, not pouting.”

Scowling, Pride clambered to his feet, emotionless eyes narrowed.

Izumi observed the blood-red scars spiralling across Pride’s body. The thing that stood out the most, however, was the winged-serpent devouring its own tail with a six-pointed star in its centre. The mark was on Pride’s upper-left arm.

“The Gate did that? And took your memories?” Izumi asked. What had Ed been trying to do?

“Yeah…” Pride said dully. “It took all my memories… but that wasn’t even. Apparently, whoever I used to be was worth a lot. So it gave me back my leg, but I don’t know what the skin was for…”

“And you remember nothing before that?”

Pride’s brow furrowed.

“…I was crying. That’s right. I opened the Gate while I was crying.”

Izumi and Envy exchanged looks.

“When did you remember that?” Envy asked.

“Just then. But it’s nothing.”

“It’s a start,” Izumi sighed.

Envy smiled. Maybe there was still hope. He missed Ed more than anything in the world. It hurt more than any torture Dante had dreamt up, more than betraying him, more than anything.

Ed had to come back.

Everyone was waiting.

--

Pride often had nightmares. He would awaken drenched in sweat, panting, desperately seeking Envy. Envy would groan, hold Pride and ask what he had dreamt of.

That was the strange thing; Pride could never remember. It was like there was a barrier, holding back any painful memories when he was conscious.

Or maybe… maybe he was dreaming his past. That idea scared Pride. If his former life was so bad, so terrifyingly tragic it would scare him from his sleep, he didn’t want to remember.

Pride was also scared that if he did remember everything, Envy would leave him. If Envy left, Pride might as well embrace death. He could never live without Envy.

Pride shook Envy gently. Envy groaned, opening one now-golden eye (1).

“’Nother nightmare, Pride?”

Pride nodded, ashamed. Sighing, Envy threw the blanket back and shifted to the side. Pride climbed in, wrapping his arms around Envy who instantly returned the gesture. Envy’s heartbeat was like sweet music.

“Do you remember this time?” Envy asked sleepily.

Pride buried his face in Envy’s chest. “I dreamt that…that you left me.”

Envy’s possessive grip tightened. “I’ll never leave you again.”

“Again?”

Envy nodded. “Before you lost your memory. You’re… you’re completely different now, but I’ll still be here. Always.”

Tears of joy filled Pride’s eyes.

“Thank you,” he whispered, almost instantly slipping into a peaceful sleep. Envy would protect him.

Hearing the blonde’s breathing relax, Envy kissed the other’s head.

“Come back to me, Edo.”

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(1) For those who don’t remember, Envy wears contacts because he hates his anonymous father and Hohenheim. And you can’t sleep with contacts in.

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I wrote that last scene in class, and I just suddenly yelled “CUTE!”

I know, some of you aren’t going to like that pairing, but think about it. The only reason people are against it is because Envy is a “bad-guy” and killed Ed. However, in this Envy is human, therefore he can feel more positive emotions. And they DO make a good couple, ya gotta admit. For more information, read Loathed Wolf Spirit’s profile and her stories, she has a perfect understanding of Ed and Envy.

Next chapter is Al-centric. Until then, please review!