This is a fanfic that I ended up writing because I simply couldn't get the concept out of my head. It's not the best thing ever written, but isn't uberly horrible either. Enjoy. Or not.

January 1, 1914.

Isn’t it funny how time works? It’s one of the only things in life whose beginnings stand out more than its endings. We don’t celebrate the end of an old year; we celebrate the beginning of a new one.

Exactly one year ago, big brother gave this journal to me as a New Year’s present. “So you won’t be alone with your thoughts at night,” he had said, grinning as he placed it into my hands. We both knew that I’d be using it often. There was nothing else I had to occupy myself with during the wee hours, and brother needed to get a good night’s sleep for the sake of both his body and mine. Eventually these journal pages became my most loyal confidants—I could tell them of everything, even things I wouldn’t want to tell brother. It was truly overwhelming, the power of a blank book and a pen.

Isn’t it funny how I can flip through this journal and recite everything that’s happened in this past year? I’ve recorded it all in detail—the good, the bad, the shocking, the dull. Ten pages ago, I hastily wrote of President Bradley being a homunculus, my brain moving faster than my hand could ever hope to. Twenty-two pages ago, I noted the facts of Hughes’s death, my brain numb and hand trembling. And in between, ramblings about the people in my life and the people that weren’t—every night, I would speculate my lack of a girlfriend and wonder if I would ever find one. Now, with what’s happened today, that path doesn’t seem too far off.

Toward the beginning of this book is the page about Rose, the girl that had relied on Letoism to make up for her loss, only to find out that it was all a hoax. It happened a long time ago, but I still remember the bittersweet legend brother recited when he met her. “There once was a hero who flew too close to the sun. His wings of wax fell apart, and he plummeted toward the Earth…”

Isn’t it funny how that legend fits us perfectly? The pitiful remnants of our wax wings still remain on our backs, God’s constant reminder of our sins. His symbol showing us that we may no longer search for redemption. But perhaps God overlooked that wax is a solid, and like all other solids, will harden after melting.

Isn’t it funny how, in just one day, you just might find what you’ve been searching for? Today brother and I learned how to reach Truth’s pearly gates and fetch my body, which is waiting expectantly in front of them. After years of relentless hunting, we’ve finally reached our goal. It’s hard to imagine being human again, having spent a quarter of my life inside a suit of armor, but it will definitely be a change for the better. I’ll be able to feel the sun on my skin, able to enjoy the taste of rice, able to find a loving girlfriend. And brother will finally quit being a dog of the military, though I can’t say that our ties with it will be completely cut—after all, how could we just leave the people that have stayed with us through our long, grueling journey?

Isn’t it funny how sure we are about this? There is always the chance that the transmutation could fail, and I won’t be able to return to my body after all. Why aren’t we paying any heed to that chance? Maybe it’s because we’ve never been of the pessimistic caliber—if there’s a shred of hope, we’ll be sure to cling to it like an infant to their security blanket. Through the course of our search, we’ve never been truly hopeless. I guess that’s what got us through everything.

Isn’t it funny how we never found out what happened to that hero? If they had continued with the legend, would he end up like us?

“There once was a hero who flew too close to the sun. His wings of wax fell apart, and he plummeted toward the Earth. All he could do then was move forward, waiting for his wings to dry so that he could, once again, take flight.”

Like I said, God overlooked that wax is a solid. Funny, isn’t it?

Alphonse Elric

You know, if this were a smutty EdxWinry romance fic, I'd have 645524123123345 hits and 134523412 comments by now. Like, rofflez?

Do NOT double post only because you don't get any review! You remind me of a Mary sue authoress out there though her fic was not as good and well written as yours. That is a good little one shot, I think, and much better than some diary fics out there (Or even better than some crappy EdWin fics that gets more reviews than very good EdWin ones or others), like I already said, this is well written and Al is IC. His thoughts are interesting and deep. I liked the 'legend' reference. I think you made a mistake in the date though.

Ah and one more thing, even if your fic was 'a smutty EdWin' one, would you like to have 134523412 comments such as "ZOMG I LUV YOUR FIC SO MUCH!!!1! YOU R SOOO GOOD!!!1!'. I don't know for you, but I would not.

But than I wouldn't be able to read it

I really love the beginning of this fiction, catches a concept that we often don't look into as people and I like the way you lead through the past events toward Rose and the legend, than your own possible ending of the unfinished legend, which by the way is brilliant.

The gramar and spelling is good, I really don't see any flaws and I don't see any reason to complain about this fic.

Totalled together, I guess all I gotta say is that you did a great job!

I just finished reading this and I love it! A pleasure to read some well written fan prose for once, and it centers on my favorite character! *points to avatar* I actually know that story of the hero with the wax wings. It's a Greek myth and the guy is named Icarus. Unfortunately he meets with a sad end but I like how Al ends it here. If you write something again I'll be sure to read it!

Sorry about the double posting. It's my first FMA ficlet, so I guess I'm just a little eager for comments and crit. And being compared to a Mary Sue authoress...well, my ego just dropped ten points. x_X

Yeah, I did mess up the date, but if it weren't on New Year's Day, then I wouldn't be able to start out the fic talking about a new year. Al isn't one to randomly talk about time all of a sudden.

Landmine and Antimony, thanks a lot for taking the time to comment! I probably should have researched the myth some more, but still. It's nice to get some praise every once in a while. :D

hehe...smells manga based to me...and personally, i like manga based fics better than anime based fics

as for your fic...its actually pretty good...lols, and i loved how you kept mentioning al wanting a girlfriend...that's so Manga!Al

wooo!!! manga based material!! anywho, its pretty good to me, except i feel sorry that als not as sexy as ed. the world isnt fair that way.



ps i forgot you to thank yew for commenting on my fic too, thank yew!!!

I wish to point out my Ed/Win smut doesn't get posted here, and most of the reviews are not what you would call productive. So don't worry about it.

I thought it was good, and you never know people might be popping in and reading it but not leaving a review. People are more liekly to comment of a series, so give one of those a shot and you'll get plenty 'OMFG pleaze post your nxt chappie NOW'

And yes, very in character.

*points up to Chiyo's comment* how true, on ff.net, in my fic, the number of 'hits' and 'reviews' are waaay different

Anywayz, I love this !!! I loved the ending espcially "All he could do then was move forward, waiting for his wings to dry so that he could, once again, take flight" I love that part!!!

Please write more sooon *puppy eyes* your fic is VERY descriptive ~~~ and, like what Kokoro Shadow Angel said, I love manga based fics

Your fic is adorable. Very nice, well thought-out, smells manga-versed to me.

Don't worry about the no-reviews thing. I know from experience that in this area, lack of Ed/Win, or at least het for that matter, won't garner a ton of attention. (And don't freak about Lux's comment. She's probably in a bad mood... or somethin'. I've double posted before; I get rather low reviews as well, but then, so do quite a few very good Genfic authors around here... unfortunately.)

Do you do Livejournal? I don't care much for blogging myself, but I am very active on a lot of fanfic communities there (There are eighty bajillion for FMA) and I think your fic would be very well recieved in many of the comms, of the like of FMA_Gen, FMA_Sanity, FMA_Fiction, etcetera. <3's to you.

(Seriously, this rocks.)

^ No, I wasn't in a bad mood! XD I'm much worse when I'm in a bad mood ;;

And Frazzie, don't worry, I didn't mean anything bad by comparing you to this Mary sue authoress, like I already said, you writing is much better (And you're only 12 if I remember what is written in your siggie, right?) and you didn't reply with an insult, so don't take this seriously, please, because the last thing I would want to do is to decourage (sp?) good writers especially when they are so young.

And Toby is right, there are a lot of communities on LJ where your work will be fairly rewarded.

That's a sarcastic signature making fun of preteen wangst, if I'm not mistaken, so I doubt Frazzie is said ridiculed age. (Although I wouldn't be very surprised; I've met a lot of incredibly sharp 12 year olds online and irl. They're pleasantly surprising to converse with, and often clever to the point that it shames me to be older than they are. Frikkin' prodigies. .)

Totally OT. Sorry, spamming your fic post. >.>

^ [off topic]LOL! Yes of course, the all self mutilating etc thing is hard to believe but someone making fun of others of their own age is not so surprising I'm doing this for a long while now.


Aren't they? VoV[/end of the off topic]

It's my time to say sorry to you for spamming, Frazzie. V_V Over now.

Thanks, everyone. Your encouraging comments make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I'll definitely consider LJ.

Sorry I haven't been replying lately, but I just got banzored from my beloved PC. Computer deprivation are fail.

And actually, I am twelve. xP

...

Frikkin' Prodigies.

K.

Edit: I'm spamming my own thread. Stupid much? u_u

Naw. It's fine. As long as you don't mind us having instigated the spam in the first place. We're improving relationships among like-minded fanficcers. It's a decent use of board space.

...

(Frikkin' prodigy.)