Debris fell all around them. Ed narrowly dodged a flying chunk of concrete. He rolled on the ground and came up ready.

It was a good thing he did; a spurt of fire exploded almost directly on him, and though he flew to the side, he had to stamp on his cloak to put it out.

"Al!" he called. "Al!"

He leapt over rocks and tried to see through the smoke. "Al!"

"Nii-san!"

Ed swerved toward the voice.

"No! Nii-san, don't come closer! There's a circle!"

Ed spun around to see a light gleaming on a grin in the dark, gleaming in a flash of blue light—

"Nii-san!" called Al, horrified.

A moment later, Ed's scream ripped through the air, soaring up the scale until it was painfully high-pitched, ending in an inhuman note.

The light faded, and Al rushed forward, toward the small red bundle he saw on the ground. He scooped it up and sprinted, thankful that their enemy had disappeared.

-…-

"Nii-san." Whispered Al, worried. He stared down at the small bundle in his arms.

Too small.

"Al…" said Riza quietly. "Are you sure that's Ed?"

He gazed at it. "He's breathing. There's a pulse."

"Are you sure that's Ed?" she repeated. Al could feel a slow horror sliding through him. He set the bundle down on the floor, gently. It moved slightly, and he noticed Riza suppressing a shudder.

"Ed?" her voice was hoarse. Al saw Roy shift slightly in the doorway. "Ed? Are you all right?"

The bundle shifted again, the thing beneath it rising to an upright up position, quivering.

Ed's shredded scarlet cloak fell from his shoulders, revealing two perfect arms of flesh.

Perfect, except that both his hands were small paws, his right arm was covered in fur up to the shoulder, and when he turned to face them, two enormous ears popped up on top of his head.

"There must have been a cat in the circle." Said Al, as Riza sucked in her breath. Roy only closed his eyes.

Ed regarded them with wide golden eyes and said nothing.

-…-

"Rowr. Rowr. Rowr. Rowr."

"Make him shut up!' yelled Roy, unable to stand it any longer. Riza groaned.

"Make him yourself, Roy! Don't talk about him like he isn't here!" she said angrily.

"Rowr. Rowr. Rowr."

Al got down on his knees in front of Ed.

"Ed. I can't understand you. You have to tell me what the problem is."

Roy exploded. Rushing forward, he snatched up Ed's tail, thrusting the end in Al's face.

"This is the problem, Al! This!"

"Actually—" said Riza quietly. Roy and Al spun to face her, but she was looking at Ed. They turned to look as well.

"Rowr."

Ed looked distinctly uncomfortable. His face was slightly pink, and he gnawed at his lower lip with his small, sharp teeth. His legs were pressed tightly together, and he yowled frantically.

"Rowr. Rowr. Rowr."

"Oh. Oh!" exclaimed Roy, horrified. Al snatched up Ed and practically flew down the hallway with him, Roy sprinting to keep up.

"Well, this is rather anticlimactic, considering the other events of the day!" Roy yelled, his boots pounding on the tile.

"We were in that fight for a long time, okay?" Al shot back.

They skidded to a halt in front of the bathroom, Al almost throwing Ed in the door. He reappeared in the doorway a moment later, almost crying.

"Rowr!"

"What? What is it?" shouted Al.

"Zipper—his paws!" yelled Roy. He gestured frantically, unable to string together a sentence.

"Oh!" Al reached forward and quickly undid the fastenings that Ed's paws were unable to negotiate. Ed immediately disappeared into the bathroom, the door slamming behind him. A moment later, there came the tinkling of liquid into liquid.

Roy and Al slumped against the door, breathing sighs of relief. Roy wiped the sweat from his brow.

"This is going to be awkward."

"Maybe we should just get him Velcro pants or something."

"Or something." Roy sighed. "It seems there are a lot of things we're going to have to work out."

"Miaow."

It sounded much less urgent this time, and was accompanied by the sound of the toilet flushing. Roy turned his head tiredly.

"Can he reach the sink like that?" he muttered.

"Oh. Probably not. Nii-san! I'm coming in!"

Roy leaned forward as Al opened the door, and then flopped against it again as soon as it was shut. He rubbed tiredly at his temples.

"Riza likes animals. Riza can do something…"