-Come on! I'm almost there... Yes! I did it!

Finally, after dozens of attempts, Edward managed to remove the last metal sheet.

A soft ray of sunshine illuminated the coach and the many glass fragments of the destroyed windows shone.

Climbing the ruins, Edward exited in the open air. He found himself in a mess of tangled branches. He followed the track the train had left sliding on the steep ground and realized they were hanging balanced on a precipice probably hundreds of meters deep.

-Dad! What's out there?-

Edward looked inside the wagon, where Winry and the children waited for the results of his brief inspection.

-We've fallen into a crevice. We have to get out immediately. Pass me Nina!-, he said to his wife, who promptly lifted her daughter. Being sure his little girl was safe, Edward leaned back again to catch Thomas too.

-Wow! It really is deep!-

-Thomas stay back!-, his father warned, while he helped Winry to make her way through the wrecks.

-We have to climb up the mountain side and reach the railway. There someone will help us for sure-, Edward explained.

-Alright. I'll take care of Nina. You look after Thomas-, Winry said grabbing firmly her daughter's hand and slowly starting to climb the cliff.

-I don't need to be "looked after"! I'm old enough!-, Thomas exclaimed pretending to sound offended.

-Yeah, yeah...-, Edward laughed.

The weather allowed the Briggs' army to restart the research. Four armored vehicles and two trucks left the Fortress again. In the lead proceeded the General.

-We're almost there!-, Falman stated.

-Good! We'll proceed on foot!-

-Yes!-

A few seconds later, every man was checking the ground meter by meter. The research went on quietly for some hours until there was a loud yell.

-General! General!-

The woman rushed to the soldier who had drawn her attention.

-What is it?-

-I... I found the coach!-

Everyone followed the man into the crevice, through broken branches and metal sheets that had detached after the derailment.

A dozen of men, Falman included, reached the wreck and got in through the narrow passage Edward had created. They didn't find anyone.

-General! They're not here!-

-Probably they managed to get out-, explained one of the officials.

-Are you telling me they survived?-

-I can't tell for sure. Even if they did survive the incident, after last night storm...-, he ventured without daring to finish the sentence.

-It doesn't matter!-, the woman replied. -The research has to go on without intermission.-

-General!-, another soldier shouted getting closer.

-Yes?-

-We found some footprints. Probably they belong to the family and they have been impressed on the fresh snow! This means...-

-That they survived the storm!-, the General exclaimed lighting up. -Follow the tracks!-

-Yes Sir!-

Warmed up by the flame of hope, the soldiers started again their research.

Two men were observing the scene from their hidden position on the edge of the cliff.

-Damn it! Did you hear that? They survived... and now what? What do we do?-

-We follow the plan.-

-What's our next move, then?-

-Give the order to prepare the attack.-

One of Briggs' soldiers noticed the two men.

-Hey! You two! Show yourselves! Who are you?-

-Damn, come on, let's go!-

and without further ado they disappeared in the forest.

-Eeeetccchùùù!-

-Is everything alright sweetie?-, Winry asked her daughter, who after a quite loud sneeze, was rubbing her still sleepy eyes. The child nodded and hurried to reach her brother.

-Dad we're almost there!-

-Slow down Thomas!-

-Yeah! No need to tell me that every two seconds! I kno-aahh!-, the kid cried before disappearing from his parents' view.

-Thomas!-, they shouted in unison rushing to help their son.

The child had fallen into another crevice, luckily less deep than the previous one, and was now struck between some branches.

-Dad! Mom!-

-Thomas! Don't move! I'm coming!-, Edward screamed, climbing down the wall, while Winry, holding tightly Nina, watched worried.

After what seemed an eternity, holding onto the rocky cliff, Edward managed to reach his son.

-Thomas!-

-Dad!-

-I'm here! Come on, take my hand!-

The child leaned out, as much as possible, and grabbed his father's hand. Edward finally pulled him to safety. Winry started to breathe again and Edward could finally hug his son.

-Are you alright?-, he asked looking at him, noticing a tiny wound on his forehead and a thin blood rivulet on his left cheek.

-Yes-, the child answered, still scared and breathless.

-Come on... Let's climb up again.-

Holding Thomas with one arm and climbing with the other, Edward went up the mountain's side up to the edge on the crevice, where Winry was waiting for them smiling.

-Come here sweetheart!-, she said leaning out her hand.

The child grabbed it and Winry was able to hug him again.

-M-Mom! Y-Your suffocating m-me!-

-I'm so happy you're fine!-, she exclaimed kissing his forehead.

-At least now you'll pay more attention-, Edward concluded. He was about to reach his family, but the rock on which he had rested his foot detached from the side and before he could realize it, he slid into the precipice again.

-Dad!-

-Ed!-

Luckily, the fall was interrupted by a rocky protrusion.

-Edward! Answer me!-

Sore and dazed, Edward stood up slowly.

-Yeah... Ouch! I'm alright!-

-Can you climb up again?-

-I think so... Aahh!-, he said moving some steps before falling on the ground.

-What the!?-

-Ed! Your automail must be broken!-, his wife shouted.

-I noticed, Winry!-, he replied grumpy.

-Mommy! There's someone out there!-, Nina exclaimed suddenly pointing at some trees.

-What are you saying Nina? I don't see anyone...-, Winry commented.

-But that bush moved!-

-I don't see anything!-, her mother retorted again.

Then a deep rumble, louder and louder as the seconds passed, filled the air.

-What was that?-, Winry asked in a whisper.

Edward too, in the crevice, heard that sound, and the memory of his first visit to the Briggs' mountains slowly started to rebuilt in his mind. He knew all too well what that rumble meant.

-Winry! You have to run away! Now!-

-What? Why?-

-Just do it! There's no time to explain!-

-Forget it! I'm not leaving you here in those conditions!-, she shouted from above the crevice.

As soon as the words left her mouth, the mysterious sound echoed again, louder and more unsettling than before.

-Winry! Go away! Now!-

Edward's excited words blurred with the noise of some branches crashing into the rocky ground.

Thomas and Nina cried panicked, Winry shivered horrified, unable to speak, as an unsettling shadow rose from the trees. The enormous dark figure stood out against the whiteness of the snow. With a dull thud, it bent on its four paws and started getting closer.

Now everything made sense. Those mysterious rumbles were a bear's growling.

-Damn it Winry! Run away!-, Edward shouted again.

This time, she didn't hesitate. Collecting her courage she picked up Nina and started running dragging Thomas with her. The bear started following them at the double and in a few seconds would reach its preys.

-Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!-, Edward kept repeating looking at the scene trying uselessly to climb up the crevice.

Winry continued running. She didn't dare turning back because she knew that if she did they wouldn't escape. Unfortunately she was forced to stop when Thomas tripped over a tree's root and fell on the ground. Winry helped her son to stand up and then resumed her desperate running. The bear never stopped following them and was getting closer and closer.

For the second time Winry had to stop her escape. Preventing her to go any further, there was an obstacle she could never overcome. In front of them stood out a massive wall of bare rock, so high it went beyond the trees' top.

For a moment, she felt her heart stop beating and her blood freezing in her veins.

Nina's cry, Thomas' screams and the noises of the dry branches that cracked under the bear's pressing steps mixed in her head. Winry turned around and collapsed slowly, staring vaguely at the beast approaching. She hugged tight her children, while tears of despair damped her face.

The bear stopped half a meter from them. After having looked them up and down, he stood up on two paws, brandishing in mid-air its sharp claws.

-Come here bastard! Leave them alone damn it!-

From his position, Edward could see the deadly trap in which his family had fallen.

His whole world fall apart when the bear lowered its claws on them, ready to inflict their mortal wounds.

-Noo!-

One, two, three shots echoed in the air, joining Edward's yell.

Winry opened her eyes. The first thing she saw were Thomas and Nina, still in her arms. Then something caught her eye: the huge animal was now resting lifeless on the ground.

Confused, she dried her face and even if her vision was still blurred, she managed to recognize a man coming towards her.

-Mrs Elric? Is that you?-

The children looked at the stranger too.

-Y-Yes-, she answered even more confused. -Who are you?-

-Don't be scared! It's me! Falman!-, he said holding out his hand smiling.

Winry stared at him incredulous. It was like a dream.

-Is... Is that really you?-, she asked, while tears started to fill her eyes again.

-Sure!-, he answered. -We finally found you! We were so worried about you!-, he confessed helping her to stand up.

-Come here! Quick!-, he then shouted to the soldiers behind himself.

-Are you alright children?-, he asked squatting.

-Yes!-, they answered smiling.

-Wait a moment... where is Edward?!-

Winry opened her eyes wide.

-Oh no... Ed! Edward!-, she screamed rushing towards the crevice.

Edward, who had seen the entire scene, when noticed Falman armed with a gun slowly getting closer to the bear, for an instant forgot to be atheist and thanked God with all his heart.

-I'm here! Are you alright?-, he asked his wife, who had leaned from the edge of the precipice.

-Yes!-, she answered smiling. -Don't worry about us!-

-Edward?! Is everything alright?!-, Falman asked too.

-Yeah!-

-Don't move! We're pulling you up!-

Meanwhile some soldiers had provided Winry and the kids with blankets and hot tea, and others had gone down in the crevice equipped with ropes to rescue Edward. General Armstrong had reached them and had immediately talked to Winry.

-I'm really sorry for what happened. I know it doesn't change anything, but I ask you to accept my excuses.-

-Don't worry!-, Winry said cracking a smile. -It all worked out for the best. It doesn't matter now.-

-It does-, the General retorted serious. -Just one more second and this could have been a tragedy. And believe me,- she added glancing at the two children playing with a soldier not far away, -I would have never forgiven myself.-

This was the last sentence the woman pronounced, because Winry's attention was drawn by something that she certainly cared more for: Edward was finally out of the crevice.

-Ed!-, she shouted jumping in his arms.

He hugged her, lifting her from the ground despite having to keep in balance on only one leg.

-Dad!-

Even Thomas and Nina rushed in their father's arms with such enthusiasm that they all fell on the ground.

Finally safe and unharmed, the Elric family held tight in an embrace full of love under the sight of the Briggs' army.