I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

- Chapter 4

(Warning: OOCness inbound! OOCness inbound! Strike in 3... 2... 1...)

The waiting crowd of soldiers were getting worried. It had been nearly half an hour... What if Ed and Al never return!?

A bright red light suddenly flashed in the center of the human transmutation circle, blinding the people who were watching. Once the light faded, they could see two human figures, Ed and Al. Ed kneeled over his little brother and wrapped him in a big military jacket he found lying nearby. His movements were slow and over-gentle as if Ed was afraid he would hurt Al.

"Edward!" "Alphonse!" "Fullmetal!" the others cheered.

Ed's head shot up to stare at the five approaching people. Riza, Roy, Izumi, May, and Ling. They all looked so happy to see the two brothers. Their happiness only reminded Edward of what he lost, what more he might loose if he snaps, and what his new self might do.

"Ed! Ed, are you alright?!" Izumi shouted as she ran up to her ex-pupil and crouched down next to him.

Edward made a whimpering noise and curled into a ball, pinning his hands to his sides. "N-No... Stay away..." He whispered.

"Ed? What's the matter?"

"T-Teacher..." Ed rasped.

"Yes?"

"I...Is he alright? Is my b...brother okay?" Ed whispered.

Izumi looked to her left where the others were taking care of the malnourished boy. "Yes, he'll be just fine, Ed." Izumi said gently, ruffling Edward's golden hair affectionately.

Ed shied away and looked at the ground in shame. "He will be as long as I stay away..." He mumbled quietly to himself.

"E-Ed?" A tiny raspy voice called.

Ed looked up and saw his brother lying on a makeshift bed made from several military jackets from the officers who had gathered. He had Roy's military coat draped over his shoulders to cover himself.

His body was so thin and fragile... Edward winced at the thought of what the new Homunculus side of himself could do to his own beloved little brother. But as Ed pictured all of the possible murderous outcomes, a small smirk worked it's way onto his expression.

'Hmm... I could strangle- WHAT?!' Edward's sane thoughts interrupted the horrible ones. 'Why the hell was I thinking like that?!' he screamed at himself.

"Brother... Are you okay? Why were you staring at me like that?" Al asked innocently, interrupting Ed's horrifying thoughts.

Edward stared at Al, not saying a word. Finally he looked away and made a choking sound. "T...The G-Gate..." he whimpered.

Izumi and Alphonse's eyes widened in terror. "What happened at the gate!? What did you give up?!" They demanded.

Edward stared up at his teacher as she loomed over him. She angrily glared down at her ex-student, waiting for an answer. "Well?" Izumi demanded harshly. She sensed that odd aura around Edward again... But this time it seemed stronger.

(Warning: Ed kinda goes off the deep end from here on. You have been warned. He also laughs alot... Do not question my motives! :I)

Ed's eyes flashed with insanity and he smiled creepily. "Heh... Heh... Hehheheee... HAHHAAHEEEHE!" He laughed maniacally, throwing his head back and filling the air with his loud crazed laughter.

Izumi gasped and took a step away from her ex-student. His pupils were dialed into tiny specks of black drowned in a sea of odd dark bronze instead of lively gold.

"Edward! Edward, what's wrong?!" She pleaded.

"Brother! What's going on?! What's the matter with him?!" Al shrieked.

"I don't know!" Izumi shouted.

She wrapped her arm around Edward and pulled him into a hug, softly stroking his golden hair. The boy calmed immediately and leaned towards her touch. His spasms and insane laughter subsided.

"Ed, Ed can you hear me?" Izumi called softly.

Edward's eyes opened. They seemed normal enough, back to their liquid gold color. but there was still something wrong... terribly wrong.

"T-Teacher...?" He croaked.

"Yes, Edward. I'm here... Your safe, no one will hurt you now..." Izumi said softly, cradling the broken teenager. Ed let himself relax, leaning into his teacher for a moment. He let out a deep sigh and his trembling stilled.

Suddenly, Edward made a shrieking noise and he ripped himself from Izumi's embrace. He staggered to his feet and stared around fearfully at the massive crowd of soldiers that clustered around him, blocking any means of escape.

"Edward, what's wrong with you?!" Izumi asked the hysterical teen.

Ed's unhealthily dilated golden eyes met hers. He just stared at her, his eyes searching through her very soul. His eye color slowly darkened and a maniacal grin spread across his features. "Hehe... Hehhe... HEHEHAAA!" He cackled.

Izumi was frozen in horror as her ex-student, and one of the two closest things to sons she ever had, advanced towards her with a murderous glint in his dark eyes and his automail arm raised for an attack.

But as soon as he was no more than two steps away from Izumi, Edward's eyes flickered back to gold. he blinked once and shook his head. Ed looked up at his teacher in confusion and saw the horror and fear in her eyes. Ed looked to his left and saw his automail fist raised for a nasty blow. His eyes widened in horror and realization.

"N...No!" Ed gasped, stumbling away from a shocked and horrified Izumi. "NO! T-Truth said it wouldn't happen until later!" he cried, pulling at his hair.

"Ed what's the matter? Did you just say Truth?! What did he take from you?!" Izumi shouted a little too harshly.

Edward froze at the sound of her angered voice. His lips curled into a smirk and he looked back up at her, His eyes darkening. The beginnings of hysterical laughter rising in his throat.

"No!" Edward gasped, eyes returning to gold, shaking his head violently. "Wh-Why did it have to be this way..." Ed whimpered and collapsed onto the ground, scooting backwards until his back was against a wall of debris. "T-Truth, you lying... bastard."

Izumi approached the teen without hesitation. Others in the crowd of soldiers warned her not to come any closer, but she just told them to stand back and shut up. Izumi kneeled down to the frightened Edward and rubbed his back comfortingly.

"Shh... It's okay Ed... Nobody will hurt you here." She cooed.

Edward quickly stood up and shoved his teacher away. "Ed. Wait-"

"NO!" Ed snarled, spinning around and glaring at his teacher, catching everyone off guard. His gaze softened slightly, "You say that it's safe here, that nobody is going to hurt me? I believe that, nobody here would try to harm me, you're all my friends." Then Edward's golden gaze became cold and hardened, "but what about the other way around? Who says I won't hurt YOU, huh?!" Ed snarled. "That bastard Truth took it from me... But he said I would stay stable for a while before I snapped, but I almost attacked you Teacher!"

Izumi took a step towards her student and reached a trembling had out to him. "Ed... Wh-What did Truth take from you?" She murmured.

Edward looked her in the eyes and turned his head to sweep his gaze over his friends. His eyes finally rested on his little brother. Alphonse was horror-stricken. frozen in shock and fear, staring at Ed.

Ed turned his back to Izumi and walked towards the crowd to leave. The soldiers parted and moved away from the boy in fear. Edward stopped and looked back at his teacher.

"You want to know what he took from me?" Edward chuckled, only a hit of craziness in his laughter.

"Yes, we could help you." Izumi pleaded.

Ed smiled a wide, crooked grin and stared oddly at Izumi from behind his golden bangs. He didn't look insane, (technically). Ed looked... Miserable, scared, and betrayed.

"My sanity." Edward whispered.

"What? What do you mean?" Izumi gasped.

Ed spun around and scowled at his ex-teacher. "What more do you want me to say?! He took my sanity, my family, my friends, my will to live, being able to control my own actions, my heart. He. Took. Everything! I can't control myself! one minute I'm fine and the next I could be laughing in the corner covered in blood with someone's dead body lying next to me." Edward hissed. "I can't live like that, knowing that one little slip up will result in me slaughtering my closest friends..." Edward's voice lowered to a whisper. "I can't do that... I can't live with the guilt and the risk. But I can't live without my family either! I don't know what to do!" Ed cried.

Izumi hesitantly placed her hand on Edward's shoulder. Ed looked at her with tears streaming from his eyes. "Edward... We will get through this. There could be more options. What do you say?"

Edward's eyes lit up with determination but it was sad and dark. Ed pushed his teacher aside and began walking to the edge of the crowd.

"Ed?"

"I made up my mind. I can't live with myself either way. You all would be safer without me in existence. Good bye." Ed announced in morbid determination. He passed by his brother and stopped. He looked down at Alphonse sadly. Al was sobbing in despair and tears streamed down his face.

"Sorry, Al... At least you got your body back... But I couldn't live with myself if I ever hurt you..." Ed murmured. He gave his little brother a quick hug and continued to the crowd.

"Fullmetal." Roy said, grabbing Edward's shoulder as he walked by.

(dude! Roy, you don't just grab an insane person from behind like that, geez!)

Edward gasped in surprise as his body was jerked to a stop. He swung his arm away in defense and kicked Mustang in the stomach. Roy crumpled to the ground while Edward looked down at him, eyes dark and insane. A sudden flash of light and the boy's automail arm became a sharp blade, pointed strait down at Roy's head.

"Fullmetal! Don't do it!" Mustang shouted. "You are stronger than this, you can fight it."

Edward continued to stare at his superior officer without saying anything. His automail blade was deconstructed and he dropped his arm to his side in defeat. "You're wrong, Roy. This is my punishment. To live in fear of murdering my own family. and I can't live like that. I'm sorry, Good bye." Ed whimpered before continuing towards the gathered troops.

The crowd's gasps of fear as they backed away from the insane alchemist were ignored by Edward as he stormed into the group of people, getting lost in the torrent if faces.

"Edward... EDWARD!" He shouted, sprinting off after him. He wasn't about to let another one of his best friends die, he must protect Ed from himself

Dun Dun DUNNNN!