Heh, would you look at that. I decided to update this fic after all, heh. I don't know...I guess I just couldn't help myself, since I experience astral projections a lot myself, hehe. Anyway, hope you enjoy this newest installment. I don't know how many chapters this will end up being. I'll keep marking each new chapter as complete though unless I decide to update it, since it's pretty much just a series of drabbles, heh.

Disclaimer: I don't own FullMetal Alchemist.

Edward was walking through the woods on the outskirts of town, still quite a bit troubled by the vision he had received earlier. Why had he seen Al standing out on the water like that? If he had just been an illusion, why did he look so clear? Was he just going crazy? Ed thrust his hands deeper into his pockets and turned his head downward to study the ground as he walked over it.

All of a sudden, he had cause to jerk his head back up. He thought for sure that he had heard Al's voice. "A-Al?" he said, barely able to let the word escape his lips. He looked around, but there was no Al in sight, or anyone else for that matter. All those in his group were walking ahead of him, since he had ducked behind to have some room to think. Ed shook his head to clear himself of his thoughts. He was just going crazy, that was all. He needed to get some rest.

Once again, Ed began to walk forward, but was soon stopped in his tracks by the same voice calling for him. He knew that voice. He couldn't mistake that voice for anyone else's, so how could he be imagining it? All the same, there was no possible way it could be Al. Still, he couldn't drive it out of his mind just how real the voice had sounded. He casually glanced around him to once again find that there was no one in sight. Sighing and hanging his head once again, he finally mustered up the courage to whisper, "Al, are you out there?"

Ed waited a good several minutes, but got no response. So he had just been imagining things after all, just like Noah had said. He shrugged and then picked up his pace to catch up with the others. He'd spent more than enough time alone.

That night, as Ed was falling asleep, he once again heard the familiar voice calling to him. This time, as sleep was overtaking him, he couldn't escape it. He wasn't sure if he should fear this voice, even though it was a very familiar, friendly voice, because he was sure people were going to label him crazy. All the same, he was beginning to grow paralyzed by his body shutting down for sleep, and there wasn't a thing that he could do about it.

The next thing he was aware of, he had opened his eyes and saw Al standing in front of him, reaching out his hand and beckoning Ed to take it. Ed saw no reason to not do so, since he knew he had to be dreaming, and he took the hand that was being offered to him.

As soon as they had locked their grip together, Ed found himself hovering way up high over the city. He was about to question how that was even possible, when he remembered that he was dreaming, and decided not to worry about it. Of course, it was a bit odd that he could know that he was dreaming and not wake up, but all the same, he didn't see any cause for alarm.

The two hovered there in place for what seemed like hours, when finally, Al turned to face Ed, and asked, "Brother, are you still alive?"

Ed was a bit taken aback at this comment. What kind of question was that, anyway? Maybe he shouldn't even answer this dream Al's question...but then, he felt so much like he was in his brother's presence. This dream Al was giving him those same puppy dog eyes that his brother had always given him, and he knew he had to give in, as ridiculous a question as it was. He chuckled a bit, self-consciously, and then said, "Uh, yeah...I'm still alive. Why do you ask?"

At this, Al smiled and spontaneously threw his arms around Ed. Edward wondered how they managed to stay afloat over the city when Al was concentrating so hard on squeezing the life out of him...but then, dreams weren't meant to make sense, now were they? Finally, Al released him and held him back by his shoulders, looking excitedly into his eyes. "I knew it!" he practically shouted, "Everyone else says that you're dead, but I knew that that wasn't the case!"

Around this point, Al started displaying something akin to a muffled laugh. Upon closer inspection, Ed discovered that this was caused by an overflow of happy tears cascading down Al's face. Somehow, tears always made it hard to laugh properly, but at least the laughter meant that these were tears of joy.

Edward squirmed. He was perfectly happy to see Al get so excited to see him, no doubt about that, but he couldn't quite put two and two together. If this were merely a dream, as he had been assuming...why was Al acting THIS much like Al? He had never seen a dream portray things this accurately. This dream was beginning to feel all too real, in spite of the fact that they were still floating above the city. Strangely enough, that was beginning to feel real too.

He couldn't take it anymore. He just had to know. He turned and grabbed Al by the shoulders and gently shook him, saying, "Al, tell me, are you real?" It was a rather awkwardly phrased question, but it was the only way he could think of to get it out.

Al blinked a couple times, and then replied by saying, "Yes, Brother...aren't you?"

Ed coughed a couple times, not having expected that question, but managed to nod in response to confirm his existence. Just then, he realized that he had coughed...but he felt like he had no physical mechanism to cough with. That didn't make any sense. He began to examine his body, and suddenly realized that he wasn't breathing either.

His eyes opened wide. That could explain why they were hovering over the city like this...if neither one of them was in their body. So, did that mean that they were dead? What was going on? He frantically began to mentally search for where he had last seen his body, and finally got an image of it sleeping soundly in his bed back at Alphons's place. The image was almost a relief, but as soon as he had thought it, he felt a tugging sensation on the back of his neck, drawing him away, away from Al, back down into the city.

Edward awoke with a start in his own bed and paused a moment to let his heart settle back into place. His thoughts took a little longer to coagulate than his pulse rate, but eventually, they started to pull together as well. Had that all been a dream, or had he really seen Al? None of it made any sense. He sat up for a moment to stretch and yawn, and then he scratched his head. There was no point in trying to figure it out now when he was still so tired. He'd try to figure it out in the morning. With that, he lay back down, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

Carrying body and soul and embracing the one,
Can you avoid separation?
Attending fully and becoming supple,
Can you be as a newborn babe?
Washing and cleansing the primal vision,
Can you be without stain?
Loving all men and ruling the country,
Can you be without cleverness?
Opening and closing the gates of heaven,
Can you play the role of woman?
Understanding and being open to all things,
Are you able to do nothing?
Giving birth and nourishing,
Bearing yet not possessing,
Working yet not taking credit,
Leading yet not dominating,
This is the Primal Virtue.

--Tao Te Ching, Chapter Ten, Translated by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English.

Hope you liked that. Yeah, for once I used something I didn't write in my fic, heh...I know, very rare for me, but I thought it sounded pretty. ((I'll leave the interpretation up you you, since if I tried to interpret it, I'd slaughter it. It was meant to be deep, heh.)) Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to leave comments and suggestions, especially if you want me to update. Take care, and hope to see you soon.