Disclaimer ; I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or it's characters. If you see a character that is not from FMA, it is probably mine unless I say so.

Summery ; It's always late at night that the nightmares worsen. The World, The Pain, The Truth. Waiting in a dark alley. Waiting for you to pass. To pierce you heart. To end your life. Waiting…in Darkness.

R&R

Please.

Thank you,

CuteMAgirl

Chapter 1 : The Darkness Creeps In.

Into the alley.

Danger.

It's always late at night that the nightmares worsen.

The World,

The Pain,

The Truth.

Waiting in a dark alley. Waiting for you to pass. To pierce you heart. To end your life. Waiting…in Darkness. It's always there. The Darkness. The Pain follows you everywhere. To anywhere, any place. The Truth. The World. It hurts so much. Waiting 'till your alone. Waiting to cut you out. That's all they do: wait. It makes your head throb, your chest pound, your heart rip.

It's always the same.

The Truth gets you.

The Darkness pulls you in.

The Pain holds you.

The World beats you.

But to him, The Truth and The Darkness hurt the most. Walking past the alleyways at night. In The Darkness. The Truth pushing him, The Darkness pulling him. His heart is ripping. His chest is bursting. His head is beating. All in a pattern.

T-thump, T-thump, T-thump, T-thump

No one to hold him, no one to comfort him. Another World ripping inside of him. The one he can only see. It's secrets that may not be shared, bursting into The World.

But somewhere in this Darkness there has to be a light that he can't see, that he can't find. Maybe it's too far away? Maybe he's just blind? What is it that he needs? Just one person to hold him when he's scared. To rob him of his fears. And love him, even after he's gone. Keep him sane, keep him strong. Help him. Every thing he is and everything he needs, all the same thing. He will never let you down, even if he could. He'll give up everything. Keep him sane, keep him strong. Even when he's gone.

He roams in this darkness. Alive but all alone. No one to love him, no one to care for him.

He roams past the alleyways, ignoring The World's sly whispers. Part of him is fighting this, but part of him is gone. Behind the whispers, a small rhythm of little feet slapping the soft ground appears. They slap the ground softly. The sound, so soft, so lovely. Is it a dream? Or is it real? The sound follow him. He turns a corner. The feet still struggle to follow. They don't ever stop.

Slap, Slap, Slap, Slap, Slap…Slap…Sl-

Thump!

The feet stop. The sound, gone. Nothing was there. Nothing will ever be there. The last thing, a thump. Something hit the ground? He stops and waits. Still nothing. No sound. No lovely sound. He continues to stare at the ground in front of him. There was a sob. Was that him? No. No, he couldn't have done that. Fear enters his chest. His eyes widen. The Pain? The Darkness? They're all here. Why? The Truth too? There's someone behind him. Someone. Slowly, he turns his head to look behind him. No, no, that can't be. A girl?

There was a girl a few feet behind him. She sat on the ground. Her long, brown hair went to her hip. Her dark brown eyes were filled with tears. She had a brown dress that matched her hair and eyes. Her shoes were small and brown also. But she only looked about five to six years old. She was clutching her knee, which was bleeding. She must have fallen. Was he going to fast? He didn't notice when he turned his whole body to stare at he. He was surprise. Should he leave the girl there? Or should he help her?

Slowly, he walked to the girl. Once he was in front of her, he bent down. His hand took a hold of hers. He removed her hand from the top of her scraped knee. She sobbed again. His gold eyes scanned her injury. It didn't look that bad. Carefully, he laid her hands on the ground. He ripped a part of his brown coat and wrapped it tightly around her wound.

"Thank you, Mister," the little girl said. "Um, what's your name?"

He froze. Was that English? Or Amestrian? They were both the same. His hand was securing the knot on the coat he ripped around her knee. His soft lips still a frown. His gold eyes on her knee. Should he answer? No. he should stay a German man. Right?

"Mister?" the girl interrupted, "Are you OK?"

He decided.

"My name's Edward."

The girl giggled. "Mister Edward? I like that. My name's Anna," she replied. That's a nice name, he thought, it's so pretty…so lovely.

He looked up to see her face. Without realizing it, he smile and whispered, "Lovely." Anna stared into his gold eyes. She blushed. But he could still feel The Darkness near. The Pain behind him. What to do? Get away? Leave her here? Run? No, she's only a little girl. He couldn't, could he? He did it to many other, so why not her?

"Mister Edward?" Anna asked, wondering. "Why are you out late?" He could feel his eye twitch. Edward looked down sadly. "I don't know" would be the only truthful answer he could give her that she would understand. The other? His world? No, she would think of him as a monster. But, what to say? He didn't know what to say. But she continued to listen. Anna was hopeful and she waited patiently for an answer from the teen. He decided to answered with a question.

"Why are you out so late?"

Anna's face got red. She didn't know what to say, did she? No, she's little. But she still answered his question. "Well," she began, "promise me you'll tell me why your out too after I explain, 'kay?" He nodded, she continued. "Well, I'm runny away from home."

The Pain. The Darkness. The Truth. They're all here. No, don't take her too! No! Not here, not now. Not her. Please not her. Why? Why? Why?

"Why?"

Anna hesitated. "Well…I…," she paused, thinking of what to say. Hurry, Edward silently pleaded, they're coming. Hurry! "You see, daddy…he…," she paused again. No, he continued, not her! Hurry, Anna, hurry! "He hit me," she finished, looking down. Edward's eyes widened. The Pain, The Truth, The Darkness. They're here. Here for her. No! Not her. Anything but her, he silently pleaded, anything! Anything. No, they will never do that. They will never stop coming, no matter what.

It hurt. Why the girl? Why? The world, so cruel in its taste, appeared. No, not now! Too young…to young…too young…

"Mister?" he looked up at her. "Mister Edward, are you going to me now?" Anna asked.

Anna, oh, Anna. Please, he silently wished, I can't…don't ask…please, no. No!

"I can't."

Anna looked up at him. She didn't seem to understand. "What? Why?" she asked. Was she angry? Her face…all red. She hated him. Everyone did, of course. But, she hated him. She hated him. Eh, why? "Why can't you tell me? I told you why I'm out late! So tell me why! Please?" she asked again.

Edward shook his head.

"Why?" This time, her voice got louder. "Why can't you tell me, Mister Edward?!" His head shifted so he could look down. "Why?!" she repeated, "Why?!"

Why? That's what he wanted to know. Why?

"I…," he stopped himself.

"Tell me, please! Please! I told you why. I never told anyone my daddy hit me, but you won't tell me anything!" She was angry, he knew it. Her face was red, so was her ears. What to tell her? What to tell her? He didn't know what to say. The darkness, only inches away, dove next to them. Darkness, all darkness.

Damn!

Damn!

Not now, Not here!

I felt it…

…a darkness creeping like night…

The girl, now frightened, screamed. What was happening. He felt his hand move, his body freeze afterward. Something…someone was controlling him. Who? How? Why?

…quietly catches me.

It spreads without sound…

Envy. Envy. It was him, wasn't it? That monster, that homunculus. How? Ever since he got here…ever since he was separated from his brother…ever since he saw the gate…he was there. The World, The Pain, The Truth, and most importantly, The Darkness. It was all him. He used Edward's body to kill others. In that darkness. Now the girl saw it. She saw The Darkness. She saw The Truth. She was about to die. Just like the other times.

…pulling…

…me apart and…

…stranding me alone…

No. it couldn't be. Edward felt his soft lips pull up in a smile. His soft, gold eyes widen in delight. Oh, he smelled the blood from here. Her soft, adorable cheeks went pale and her eyes darkened in realization. He held a knife up to her throat. So good, he heard something whisper, oh, so good. He agreed. It made his sick, but he agreed. Edward felt good. He felt happy. He felt sane.

…in this thrilling…

…darkness…

The girl's blood spilled to the ground. He suddenly realized something. Envy was never there. The Darkness, The Pain, The Truth, The World. It was all his imagination. It was all him. Edward killed the man. Edward killed the women. Edward killed the boy. Edward killed the girl. The girl…she was so lovely…but…she was so annoying. He killed her, Edward realized. It took time for him to comprehend it. Was it really him? Yes. Did he do it to keep himself sane? Yes.

He killed.

…why, oh, why?

He looked down to her face. He touched her pretty face, her soft cheek, her smooth lips. So soft, he thought, so, so soft. Why did he do it? Because he wanted to. Because he was jealous. Her life was simple. She didn't have people comeing after her. No, she didn't. Her life was bad, but not as bad as his. He hated her for that. Hate. Hate, what is that? He hated so much, he didn't know what that was. why? He felt her lips again. He touched her hair. He looked at her clothing. It was so pretty. What a waste, he thought, why put it on a girl that would die young? He hated her. Her dad hit her, she had said, but he could have still cared. Do you know what was worse then having no parents or parents that didn't love you or parents that hated you? Having parents that didn't even care. That was worse.

His 'Father.'

Edward hated him. But, of course, he...hated a lot of things.

Edward hated the world.

Without a second thought, he felt his own hand grab the knife. This was it, a voice whispered, this was it. Yes, Edward agreed. The whisper was so soft, he barely heard it.

"Die, my dear. Die."

He fell to the ground, blood surrounding both Anna and him.

"Die."

R&R