- I'm kinda stuck with my other stories at the moment, but worry not - I WILL CONTINUE THEM. This is all I can deliver for this weekend. Hope you like it! -

"Al?" Ed partially whispered, for the echoes gave him an advantage in the infinite stretch of the space. At last he could mouth out words, after the rise & fall of the hellish pain inflicted upon him by his half-brother, Envy. Tears formed at the side of his countenance, then trailed down fluidly. Next he trudged along the flat ground, every step fairly heavy. Around him was nothing but yellowish-white 'void', though not for long. It was minutes that elapsed before interesting splashes of colour began to weave in and out the 'void'.

Furthermore, to his utter surprise the ground started to slope. Only the colours gold, green & deep blue remained painted around him; however, there was movement much like that of a broad brush: as each hue took shape & made sense out of where he was.

A couple of hills that were almost flat came together on the widespread plains, covered by evergreen grass that looked as though it'd never perish. Ed thought he heard music…a woman's soft howling above the clings & clangs of exotic percussion. That was followed by a feathery flute's melody. Sunlight of the strangest but most beautiful kind rained down on him gently: without casting any shadow.

Only one other person seemed to be present in that neck of the woods. "Hey! Yes you!" The footsteps interrupted by rustling of grass reached his ears.

"I think I got my timing right," she hurried down the slope to greet him. Her hair wasn't quite mussy; it blew freely with the lovely breeze. Clad in a blue, white & red striped jacket, a red T-shirt underneath along with yellow pants, her amazing eyes danced together with the light.

"Hey," Ed spoke, almost grinning, "Have you seen my brother, Alfonse?"

She squinted the slightest bit, "I haven't. Sorry." She stationed herself a little nearer, to make it less awkward in conversing. He'd just overtaken her in terms of height, which proved to be a relief. "I'm Susie - Susie Salmon. Your tour guide for the Inbetween." He looked at her really stupidly, prompting her to add on, "Each time a newcomer arrives, one of us is assigned to guide him or her about the place. If we do it right, we'll get to Heaven."

It was quite a load for Ed to take in immediately. "The Inbetween? No - you've got it wrong, I was at the gate. Then the flash of my brother before he vanished.."

Susie threw a quick glance in the direction he came from, "It was at the gate that your time on Earth ended. Time has stopped for you since you got here." Seeing his agitated expression, she reassured, "There's no need to really hurry."

"No, I have to find Al! Before those sick megalomaniacs do anything more to him!" he was gesticulating with both hands.

"Wait a second, take it easy," came her smile. "Look."

Ed was appalled with the crystal clear image forming ten feet away, temporarily eating away at the endless plains.

"Looks like Al has done something noble for you," Susie mentioned. Alfonse, his soul still trapped in the armour, was performing an alchemic act. Red streaks covering his steel shell started glowing with indescribable brightness.

"No…he's…," Ed's jaw fell. It was Human Transmutation. The law of equivalent exchange being applied perfectly. Al was attempting to revive him. All that was left of his younger brother, for all that could bring Ed back in one piece. What was going to happen to him? Would he be pouring into his older sibling's physical body the droplet of life left in him?

"Susie, please tell me! If his soul leaves the armour, will he be coming here too?" he queried, anxious as ever.

"I'm afraid not," Susie dropped her gaze to the grass, "He's transferring his soul voluntarily. If I'm correct, people who do that don't die - I don't know…perhaps they're transporting themselves -"

"Beyond the gate..," he pondered. "That's right! When I died I didn't enter through that very gate! I had looked to the side & followed the shades of colour I saw."

"Mmm hmm," the corners of her mouth curved up. "With what your brother just did, you've received a chance to return to Amestris. But there are some really important things you should know before leaving." She checked to see if he'd try to break into a run, & double back. He didn't. "No matter how long you spend here, you will make it back. Time's at a halt here, remember?" she said.

"Sure. Okay," he seemed hesitant. Yet he concluded, "Show me around. I'm Edward, by the way. It's fine calling me Ed."

"So what exactly is Heaven?"

She muffled some laughter, "Are you kidding me? You've never heard stories - of how we can enjoy a perfect life in a perfect world if we die as selfless people?"

"No. The only other world I know of is a place where the laws of physics guide nature's course."

She led him through the grassy lands that were now golden instead of green. "That's my world. Though I hated science…boring & dull. I dreamed of becoming a wildlife photographer, capturing a moment in time & holding it forever in a precious sheet." The walk wasn't going to be that long, though a good enough distance to get to know him better. She put forth the next question, "What about where you're from? I noticed Al was using magic or something."

He followed close behind, "I was an alchemist. In alchemy we understand the structure of things, then break them down before reconstructing them into a new product. Most importantly, we follow the law of equivalent exchange. None of us gain anything without first giving something in return."

"Doesn't sound too bad for my taste…I like the depth of it…You must be from a world parallel to Earth."

His response was no more than casual, "It's called Amestris, actually."

"You know, you're lucky to have gone fast track. I saw that where you appeared was half as near to Heaven's border compared to the place I first arrived. When I died I started all the way from the tip of the afterlife."

"Really? Why's that?" he flashed his gaze completely at her, liking how the light was on half her face.

"I hadn't forgiven my murderer. That was a long arduous ladder to climb..I got my dad's body broken for a time, after willing him to hunt down that monster."

"You were killed? How?" his tone dropped to seriousness.

She did a deep inhale first, "Mr. Harvey was a neighbour of ours; queer & eccentric, but friendly on the surface. But on that December evening he lured me into a hole he'd spent months digging, saying I should try out the new kid's 'underground clubhouse'. As the sun went down I was raped, then butchered. My body was in fragments & spilling all the blood it held.."

"Oh. I'm sorry…," he quickly looked away.

"It's okay. You only feel negative emotions if you cross from Heaven into the Inbetween. I'd lighten up again when we get there." She wanted to express how puzzled she really was, "How could you not hold a grudge against your killer?"

"Envy was no longer human. Therefore I didn't believe he'd ever have a conscience." "It was quick how he killed me, but nevertheless razor sharp. He could form his hand into a blade, then he drove it through my heart. The last thing I saw while I choked up my blood was the chandelier blurring away."

"Haha, no fair! I think you suffered less than I did!"

"Well, yes & no. It takes longer to fade away when your murderer chops you up, but I personally think that doesn't compare to the pain of a pierced heart." The talk was lightening up once again as he added, "Funny, I was nearly chopped up once - but Al saved me in good time. If he didn't show up, I would've been put to death by Barry the Chopper!"

"That's freaky…," she chortled. "Guess we can identify with the feeling of having our souls ripped from their shells."

"Yeah."

There was utter silence, nothing but the balmy wind.

"When we reach there, first things first I'll take you to the ice-cream parlour."

"Ice-cream?"