Hey guys, I'm back! Please don't kill me after this chapter, I know what it looks like but there's a happy ending, I swear! Okay, here goes...

To Lacila: Don't cry! I can't help being amazingly talented! *flips hair* Seriously though, you should have seen the first draft of this. It was rubbish.

To AiroctivElnyn: Yup. If he'd remembered right there, the story would have been a lot shorter... and far less angsty...

To Attackoneverything: I can imagine that the D and X keys on your keyboard are pretty well-worn... lol. Here is the next chapter!

Chapter IV: Platinum Memories

Winry was still working on Edward's automail when she saw Al sprint past her, his ragged breathing indicating that something had gone awry. She put down the screwdriver she was holding and called after him, but she received no response. Worried, she shouted for Edward, but he did not reply either.

The blond mechanic dashed up the stairs, taking the steps three at a time, and burst into the room Edward was currently occupying. Her breath hitched.

Edward was collapsed on the ground, unmoving, a trickle of blood running down his face. A photo was clasped tightly in his right hand.

"Ed… Edward!" Winry cried, shaking him by the shoulders. He groaned and put a hand to his head.

"Ow… that really hurt, Al…"

"Edward, it's me―" Winry cut off abruptly. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her eyes were locked on the hand that Edward was clutching his head with.

She could see right through it.

Al didn't stop running. He didn't even know where he was going, but that didn't faze him. He just had to get away.

He finally stopped when he was so out of breath he couldn't run anymore. Panting, Alphonse looked around. When he saw where he was, he froze.

Alphonse stood among the ruins of his old house.

He remembered it burning. He remembered watching it burn. What he couldn't quite piece together was why.

There's no going back for us now, Al.

"Stop it!" he cried, holding his ears. "I don't want any memories!"

"Alphonse?" He turned around at the familiar voice.

"C-Colonel? What are you doing here? I-I thought you were in Central…"

"I came out to… see how you were doing." Alphonse looked up at the Colonel skeptically.

"That can't be the only reason."

"I asked him about it too, Alphonse," said Lieutenant Hawkeye, stepping out from behind Mustang. "He won't tell me why he came all the way out here, either."

"What are you doing all the way up here anyway, Alphonse? I thought you'd be at the Rockbell's."

"I… uh…" Al gulped. How could he possibly explain what had just taken place? He didn't even understand it himself!

While he was pondering what he ought to say, his hand brushed against something hard and smooth. Confused, he pulled it out of the ashes. It was a little figurine, well-crafted, the transmutation marks on it signifying that it had been made with alchemy.

Mom! Mom! Look what we made!

Oh, boys! That's wonderful!

I can still only do this one, though…

"Al? What's happening?"

How are we going to live without her?

We're not. We're going to bring her back.

"Are you alright? Alphonse!"

No! AL!

BROTHER!

He could hear concerned voices, as if from a great distance, just as everything went black and he fell into the firm grasp of a pair of arms clad in the blue of the Amestrian military uniform.

"EEK!" screeched Winry. "You're a… a… a ghost!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Winry," Edward chastised her, sitting up. "Ghosts don't exist."

"But your arm… I can see right through it!"

"Yes, and there's a long, complicated explanation behind that, but right now we need to find Al! He ran off somewhere, and in the state he's in, I don't know what will happen." Ed sighed. "I shouldn't have told him. I should have left well enough alone."

"Edward, what the hell are you talking about?!"

"I promise you, I'll explain everything later! Now let's go!" Without waiting for a response, he took off down the stairs.

It's best if I don't tell her, he decided. I'm going to vanish anyway. I don't want to make her cry again… It's better if I just fade away with her none the wiser. At least I won't hurt anyone that way.

"EDWARD!"

Surprised, he lost his footing on the spare prosthetic he wasn't used to and tumbled to the ground.

"You shouldn't go so fast, you might… Oh," panted Winry, coming around the corner. "I was going to say, 'you might trip'…"

"Thanks for the warning," muttered Edward into the floorboards. He clambered to his feet and continued running, if a little more slowly than before.

"But wait… Edward, we don't even know where he is."

"There're only two places he could be: Down by the river, or or up on the hill by the ruins of the house."

"How do you―"

"There's no time, Winry. You check the river, I'll take the hill." Without waiting for a response, Ed took off to the right. Winry sighed and went left.

"Al! Al?" Edward called. As he reached the crest of the hill, he heard the click of a gun being cocked. He skidded to a halt.

"Lieutenant?" He mentally berated himself for letting it slip out. Riza narrowed her eyes.

"Have we met?" Her suspicious tone made Ed gulp in sudden fear. He did not want to get on the bad side of the Hawk's Eye. "No… hold on… You were in Central a few days ago. You bumped into me, started to apologise and then ran off…"

"Please, have you seen Alphonse anywhere?"

"You know him?"

"He's my… friend. Just a friend." Riza frowned at him, but did not comment.

"He's on the other side of the hill with the Colonel. He fainted not five minutes ago."

"What?" Edward bolted past the Lieutenant, who made no motion to stop him. As the charred remains of the old house came into view, he spotted two figures leaning against the burned tree. "Al!"

The Colonel was supporting the limp form of his brother, but he looked up at Ed's approach. "Who are you?"

"I'm his friend! Let me help!"

Ba-dump.

The blood drained from Edward's face. Not again. Not now. It felt worse this time.

"Tell me who you are first!"

Ba-dump.

"Dammit! I'm running out of time!"

Ba-dump.

Edward fell to his knees, breathing heavily. His whole body was pulsing, fading in and out of existence.

Ba-dump.

"What… the hell?" Roy murmured.

"Edward!" someone screamed. He looked up to see Al, tears streaming down his face. "I-I remember, Brother! I remember everything!"

Ba-dump.

"You― you do?"

"It all came back suddenly… Brother, what's happening?!" Alphonse suddenly grabbed his brother and pulled him into a hug. "I don't want you to vanish!"

Ba-dump.

"I'm so sorry, Al…" whispered Edward. Something warm splashed onto his hand and he realised he was crying. He could feel himself being pulled away, no matter how hard he tried to fight it.

Ba-dump.

"Fullmetal!" Roy yelled all of a sudden. "I… I remember you!"

"Edward… How could we forget Edward?" Riza gasped.

"E-ED!"

Winry's voice.

Winry.

Oh, Winry.

Ba-dump.

Why did you have to remember me at a time like this?

"YOU IDIOT! YOU CAN'T GO DISAPPEARING WHEN I'VE ONLY JUST REMEMBERED YOU!"

A warm embrace. More tears fell on his face, but this time they weren't his.

"W-Winry…"

"Don't vanish, Ed. I… I love you."

"I love you too."

Ba-dump.

Suddenly her lips were on his. Taken aback, Edward stared ahead at nothing, golden eyes wide. Then he closed them and wrapped his arms around her, and they were both crying as the sun painted the sky gold once again behind them.

Her hands found their way into his hair, and she marvelled at how soft it was. She wanted to pull him even closer to her. If only… If only this kiss could last forever.

They broke apart, neither really wanting to but both feeling the need to. Winry reached out her hand and stroked the side of his face, which grew fainter and fainter in the dying light.

Ba-dump.

"Please don't go," she breathed. "I don't want to say goodbye right after we met each other again."

"Then how about 'Hello, nice to meet you'?"

"But we've already met."

"You're supposed to say, 'Nice to meet you too,'" Edward smiled, but there was no laughter in his eyes.

Ba-dump.

"N-nice to meet you too," Winry sobbed, and threw her arms around him again. Seeking comfort, she leaned in for another kiss, but her lips met empty air. She opened terrified blue eyes. "E-Ed?"

No answer.

No sound.

No light as the day had surrendered to darkness.

No golden sun to illuminate the world.

"EDWARD!"

No Ed.

No Fullmetal.

No Edward.

Not anymore.

OH NOES! IS THIS THE END?... Nope. Don't worry, this story will have a happy ending! Just two more chapters after this, though, and that's it. Until next time!