"Achoo!"

Finn rubbed his nose and waved the dust away.

Someday he was going to pluck up the courage to slap Stork in the face for introducing fall cleaning to compliment spring cleaning. Did he just think the connection to Amestris would bring in a whole new world of dirt as well?

He didn't even recognise this part of the ship. For all he knew, he could be the first person ever to set foot in this place since the Condor was constructed.

'Therefore,' he thought, 'as I am the first person to discover this location, I hereby claim it for the nation of Finnster and it shall henceforth be known as the…'

He paused, trying to think what this place he was could be called.

'…the Official Finnster… Engine Room… Air Duct Entrance,' he decided. 'Yeah, it needs work.'

With the cover dusted, he unscrewed the bolts and pulled it off. The inside of the vent had even more dust coating the walls, and Finn realised he was going to have to get a mask or something if he wanted to get through this alive.

But because this was Finn, he just pulled his shirt up over his face instead.

And then he realised he was going to have to practically get into the vent in order to do the job properly.

'Couldn't they have just made me do the floors again?' he wondered as he pulled himself up and propped his elbows against the walls. 'I'm good at floors! I can… what?'

There was something inside the vent. In the dim light, he could just about make out the shape of a box about the right size for a pair of shoes to fit in.

Who would want to hide a shoebox in an air vent?

Were there some antique shoes in there?

Still with his shirt awkwardly pulled up over his face, he pulled his body further into the vent and reached for the box. He could only just touch the lid with the tips of his fingers and carefully inched it towards him, nervous that he might accidentally push it away as usually happened in situations like this.

"Come on…" he whispered.

Several seconds of pulling brought the box to within reach of his hand and let him get a proper grip, and once that happened, he slipped and fell quite heavily out of the vent. He landed on his back with a thump and the box hit him in the chest.

"Victory," he muttered.

He pulled down his shirt and ripped the box lid off to reveal…

…a book.

A single book, leather-bound and looking rather weather beaten, on a bed of old newspapers.

Annoyed, Finn laid the book down next to him and pulled out the paper, but there was nothing underneath. No money, no crystals, not even a secret stash of candy. Just more dust.

"Dammit," he said to himself.

Oh well. So he had a new book. Whoop-de-doo.

'Might as well see what this thing's about,' he figured. 'I guess I could hang onto it if it turns out to be some epic story about dragon racing and ancient wars and legendary heroes and stuff, but if it's another crystal encyclopaedia, I guess I'll leave it somewhere for Piper to find.'

Bored already, he flipped to the first page.

When he read what was written there, his jaw dropped.

"Don't you worry about the dark," Piper sang to herself as she tried to drown out the humming of the vacuum. "I will light up the night with the love in my heart…"

She moved into Aerrow's room. Why he'd had to leave just before the beginning of the fall cleanout was anybody's guess, as he usually rather enjoyed these activities.

"…I will burn like the sun, I will keep you safe and warm," she sang. The lyrics were cheesy, it was true, but much better than anything Finn would listen to.

There wasn't much to do in this room, as Aerrow generally kept his area rather well-kept anyway. Having finished here, she moved back out into the corridor and continued on her way.

"Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day, I will be there to take all your fears away," she sang. "With a touch of my hand I will turn your life to…"

She span around to the short instrumental.

"Gold…" she squeaked, somehow hitting the high note flawlessly.

"PIPER, WILL YOU CUT THAT OUT?!" screamed someone behind her.

She looked back and saw Finn fuming, and switched her music off.

"No need to yell," she said, despite it being clear that she'd accidentally set the volume too high. "Did you finish cleaning the vents in the engine room?"

"Not yet," said Finn.

"Then why are-"

"'Coz I found a box in one of the vents that had this inside it."

He held up a rather old-looking book.

Piper pulled off her headphones (they were actually Aerrow's headphones, but she would apologise for it once he returned from Amestris) and looked down at it.

"In a box?" she asked for confirmation. "So you didn't think maybe someone put it there because they didn't want it to be found? You don't even know who it might belong to."

"Uh, yeah I do," said Finn, and opened the book. "Check out the address its owner wrote. Figured it would be best to show it to you rather than hogging it, 'coz I have literally no idea what I should do with it."

Narrowing her eyes, Piper read the inscription.

"Holy…" she gasped, and the hoover fell from her hand. "We have to show this to the others. Come on!"

She grabbed Finn's hand and pulled him after her.

Silence reigned on the bridge as the Storm Hawks stared at the book that sat, still open at the last written-on page, in the centre of the table. None of them were sure what would be appropriate to say.

After what felt like an eternity, Junko broke the hush.

"We have to tell Aerrow," he stated.

"You don't think that might be a bit of a bad idea?" asked Stork.

"He should know!" Junko argued. "Don't you think he deserves to know something as major as this?"

"My mind is still blowing in ways I didn't even think it would be possible to blow," said Finn, who was rubbing his likely very sore temples.

"Junko's right," Piper said as Radarr carefully closed the book. "Aerrow deserves to know about this way more than any of us. Rather than just telling him though, I think it would be best if we just let him read it for himself. Don't you guys agree?"

Radarr nodded and handed the book to her, and the other trio responded in various positive ways.

"And Stork," said Piper, "I think you can take that gas mask off now."

"You're kidding, right?" Stork said flatly. "That thing's been hidden in an air vent gathering dust for what, eleven years? Eleven and a half? Do you have any idea what kinds of moulds and fungi can grow on paper in that much time? I'm surprised the whole thing hasn't rotted to dust!"

"It was in a box," Finn pointed out. "You don't think maybe the newspaper absorbed whatever spore-things might've been in there?"

Junko didn't say anything, but did cast him a very confused and concerned look.

"And of course, Aerrow just had to go and visit Ed," Piper said, mostly to herself. "You think he just did that to get out of cleaning?"

"Nah, Aerrow's cool with cleaning," Finn pointed out. "He actually likes to help out. I'm just wondering what's taking him so long; how long has he been gone?"

"Over two days," Stork instantly replied. "Nearly three, I think."

"It is a pretty long journey to Resembool," Junko pointed out. "Remember how it took us a whole night to get from there to Central? For all we know he could've only just arrived."

Bang-Bang-Bang

All eyes fell upon the door.

"Or he could've just got back," said Finn.

"Since when does Aerrow knock?" Piper pointed out.

"Who is it?" called Junko.

"It's Fuhrer King Bradley!" shouted a familiar voice. "I'm here to have you all arrested for not letting me in!"

Yeah, it was pretty obvious who it was.

"The door's not locked," Stork informed him, and to himself he muttered, "It never is, of course."

The door opened.

"Jeez, you guys are not easy to track down," Ed said as he walked into the large room. "Do you know what I had to say to people to even make them think about telling me where you were? Not to mention how hard it was to get a lift! It was early morning when I left and now it's almost three o'clock!"

"Well, we don't like people just waltzing onto our ship like it's a public park," Finn snarked.

"I'm guessing you didn't just find us to complain about how difficult it was," said Piper before another argument could erupt.

"I'm afraid so," said Ed. "You're probably wondering where your Sky Knight's got to, is that right?"

"Yeah, where is he?" asked Finn. "Did he break his automail and had to get Winry to make him a new one again?"

"Or did he contract some sort of airborne disease that could eradicate all life in the Atmos if it spreads to our world?" asked Stork.

"Neither," said Ed. "You see, Aerrow… he never made it to my place."

"What?!" the Storm Hawks responded unanimously (except Radarr, who squawked in alarm).

"Those of you who are standing might want to find something to sit on," said Ed. "What I'm about to tell you is something you are not going to enjoy."

Aerrow was numb.

He didn't feel the pillow under his head. He didn't feel the blanket that was wrapped tightly around his body, and didn't feel the bed that supported him. He didn't even feel the air on his face.

He couldn't hear anything either. The layers of fabric around his head and the nearby wall and door blocked out all sound from the outside world.

But he didn't dare close his eyes because he feared that he would stop existing altogether.

Not that he would really care very much if that happened. As far as he was concerned, ceasing to exist would be a massive improvement from where he was right now.

For now, however, he lay in numbness.

It wasn't that he didn't want to feel. Far from it. He wanted to feel warmth and comfort and security. He wanted to feel as if nothing bad was going to happen. He wanted to feel positivity and optimism and all of the assorted sub-emotions that fall under the umbrella of general happiness.

And instead he just felt…

Hollow.

Used.

Violated.

Dirty.

He wanted to find a shower and scrub every inch of his body ten times over. He would wash until his cuts reopened and he was bleeding all over. And then, when he was done, he would curl into a ball on the floor and let the hot water scald his already sore and bruised back. Maybe he would cry. He wasn't sure.

But he couldn't, could he? He couldn't go to a shower. He probably wouldn't even be able to stand.

Besides, it wasn't like he wasn't the usual standard of clean. The doctors and nurses had disinfected all of his cuts and scrapes and done their best to make sure they were properly dressed. They had even managed to save his leg from amputation, though Aerrow suspected alchemy had been used.

He didn't care.

He just wished there could be some way to rid himself of this numb sensation of desecration, but that, in all probability, was never going to happen.

So he lay there, on the bed with his blankets wrapped around his body and wondering if he would ever be able to consider himself human again.

He didn't move when he heard another knock on the door, which soon opened.

"Your friend's gone into the other world," said the voice of the Dust Storm Alchemist. "He says you're a Sky Knight, is that right?"

Aerrow still didn't move.

"He's gone to find your squadron and tell them you won't be coming home for a while," said Dust Storm. "I'm sure they'll understand once they've heard everything. I bet they'll be eager to see you again once you go home."

The Sky Knight gulped.

"I'm not going home," he said quietly.

He could feel the major's confused gaze on his back.

"Why not?" the man asked. "Don't you-"

"I could take down a whole platoon of Talons by myself," Aerrow said, barely altering the tone of his voice. "I could take down the most powerful fighter Cyclonia has to offer and not even think about getting hurt. And yet, when it came down to it, when I really needed to pull myself together and fight, I failed."

He heard the soldier step closer.

"You don't think getting shot in the leg had anything to do with it?" he asked.

"Should've seen it coming," Aerrow responded bluntly.

"The round that injured your leg came from a high-velocity sniper rifle," said the major, "likely fired from between thirty and fifty metres away. You were most likely shot from across the street, from inside a building, and you were in an alleyway. How would you have been able to see that coming?"

"As a Sky Knight, I have to be prepared for anything," said Aerrow, still retaining his numb monotone. "I didn't see this coming and I paid for it. I can't go home. What good am I?"

"That's insane."

The Dust Storm Alchemist was right beside his bed. He could tell.

"You really think you brought this on yourself?" asked the soldier. "You think you were setting yourself up for something most of us can't even begin to imagine? Sky Knight or not, you're still human. And no human in their right mind would ask for something like this."

Aerrow blinked.

"So why don't I feel human?" he inquired.

The major sighed.

"I'm not about to pretend I understand how you feel," he said. "Because the simple fact is that I don't and I probably never will. But listen carefully, because I'm only going to say this once and I don't ever want to have to repeat it. You'll pull that sheet off your ear if you know what's good for you because I want to know you're listening."

Silent, Aerrow pulled the blanket off from around his head.

He froze as he felt the Dust Storm Alchemist lean in closer.

"This. Was. Not. Your. Fault," he said, slowly and solidly and oh so clearly. "Do you understand?"

Not daring to look up at his face, Aerrow nodded.

"Good," Dust Storm said as he (presumably) straightened up. "I'll have one of the nurses bring some food in for you."

"I'm not hungry."

"You haven't eaten anything since before you entered this building. I'm going to make sure you have food and you'll be hungry by the time it gets here if you know what's good for you."

And with that, Aerrow was left alone again.

He was still lying unmoving on his bed that he could barely feel. He was still hurting in places and ways that he didn't think would be possible to hurt. He still wanted to throw himself into the hottest possible shower and never emerge even if the place was rigged with its weight in explosives.

So why had the Dust Storm Alchemist's words brought him such an odd feeling of comfort?

"I'm sorry I can't stick around for longer," Ed said as he stepped out onto the runway. "I borrowed the skimmer from a pretty grumpy doctor on Atmosia and I'll have to get it back to him before sundown or else I become his coffee slave for a week."

Piper didn't respond. She had been quiet for rather a while now.

"Listen," said Ed, "I'm going to try to get Aerrow to come home, alright? Right now he needs you guys more than ever, but I don't think he realises that. And if what you're telling me about that book is true, then you need him too."

Still Piper remained silent.

"In any case," Ed added as he mounted the skimmer, "I guess I'll see you guys later."

"Wait."

He froze at the sound of her voice, and she passed the book over to him.

"Could you make sure he gets this?" Piper requested. "It would be better for him to read it himself rather than just having one of us try to explain it."

Ed nodded and took the book, and stashed it safely in the compartment the skimmer's owner usually used to hold his bag.

"I'll see you when I see you," he said.

And then he was gone, occasionally dropping in the air as he struggled to get the hang of the skimmer's mechanisms.

Piper stood and stared at the empty sky for what felt like an eternity.

She had been waiting for Aerrow to come home. She knew he wanted to see Ed again to see how he was doing, to find out if he and Alphonse had fully recovered after the events in September. She also knew that no matter what happened, he would be more than capable of handling himself.

And now, to discover something like this…

She felt Radarr climb up her leg and onto her shoulder, and reached up to scratch behind his ears. He had been just as horrified – if not more so – when he had discovered what had become of their leader.

Then again, all of them had been horrified.

She walked back down the runway towards the doors, and made sure to close them behind her as she entered the hangar. She could feel heat rising to her face – her body was telling her she should be crying – and she tried her utmost to ignore the sensation. Crying wouldn't change the situation at all.

The door in front of her opened and she was met by Junko, who also appeared to be on the verge of tears. Wordlessly, they began walking together, back towards the bridge.

It seemed like words would be useless, given the situation. What could anybody possibly say to make things better?

But still, as they continued walking, it felt like somebody should say something. Anything. Even an unintelligible scream would be understandable and excusable, but still the silence reigned for the remainder of their journey.

Upon reaching the entrance to the bridge, they paused.

Piper looked up and Junko, trying to find words to express some sort of comfort, and saw silent tears trickling down his cheeks. He looked down at her and it was clear he wanted to say something too, but couldn't quite find the appropriate phrasing for his emotions.

So Piper hugged him. And he hugged her back. And Radarr joined in.

The door slid open, detecting their presence, and the three of them looked up to see Stork holding Finn in an almost identical fashion.

With each of them realising that they all felt the same way, the five of them united in a single, large embrace.

Ed took a deep breath once he had stepped out of the Breach. He doubted he would ever get used to the change in gravity and atmosphere.

"So they know?" asked Major Blitz, who had been waiting for his return.

"Yeah, and it was awful," said Ed, and they started walking to the nearest exit. "They looked like their whole world had come crashing down around them. Not surprised, really. They're way more like a family than some military platoon. I've spent enough time with them to know that much. And I think having to tell them what's happened to their leader is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my whole life."

The Dust Storm Alchemist nodded in understanding.

"He'll probably be wondering where you are," he said. "If the two of you really are close enough for him to be asking after you, then I doubt he'll want you to be very far away."

"I know," said Ed.

"So I'm guessing you know what his name is?"

"Obviously."

They continued walking in silence.

"Well?" asked the soldier.

"Well what?" Ed responded.

"You're not going to tell me? What his name is, I mean. I found him in that alleyway, I'd hate to keep thinking of him as just another victim."

"Oh. Right. His name's Aerrow. I remember I laughed my ass off the first time I heard it."

He paused and looked back when he noticed that Major Blitz had stopped walking, his face a portrait of shock and alarm.

"Something wrong?" asked Ed.

The major shook his head, but it was more of an attempt to get his thoughts in order than a signal of denial.

"No," he said. "It's nothing. You're right; it is a bit of an unusual name."

It was amazing how little attention was paid to them as they walked across the courtyard.

"Hey, is it okay if I use a phone here?" asked Ed. "My brother's probably going out of his mind worrying about me."

"Yes, of course," said Major Blitz. "I'll show you where they're kept. The main administration centre got relocated in the blueprints after what happened with Brigadier General Hughes last year. They've become more easily accessible."

Ed nodded in grim understanding.

"At least now I've broken it to Aerrow's companions," he said, mostly to himself, "telling Al should be a little easier."

Al sat on a chair, staring at the phone.

"Alphonse, don't worry," said Winry as she laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He's okay. He'll call."

"But what if he doesn't?" Al asked fearfully. "What if he's been arrested and they're going to execute him?"

"Don't they usually give prisoners a phone call?" Winry pointed out.

"And besides," said Granny as she tightened a bolt, "They wouldn't do that if they know what's good for them. If they arrest that boy for nothing, I'm marching right into Fuhrer Grumman's office and giving him a piece of my mind."

She finished adjusting Den's leg and patted her affectionately on the head, and received a grateful lick on the cheek.

"Now don't you go trying to chase cats up trees again, alright?" she said. "Especially not the ones that are easy to climb."

"If that happens again, I'll fix her up," said Winry.

The phone rang.

Al snatched up the receiver so fast that the motion was barely visible.

"Hello?!" he said desperately, and then sighed with relief at the sound of the person on the other end of the line. "Brother, you're alright!"

"It's Edward?" Granny looked up from cleaning off her wrench. "Tell him I want him on the next train to Resembool. He's already spent long enough surrounded by soldiers; I don't want him getting any more funny ideas about what he's capable of. Unless he's willing to pay rush order fees."

Al wasn't listening.

"Not coming home?" he said, loud enough for Winry and Granny to hear. "Why not?"

"Ugh, I knew it," Winry said angrily. "I knew he'd get himself arrested someday, that idiot!"

"Well, at least they're giving him a phone call," said Granny, and laid down her wrench. "Seriously now, Winry: get my coat. That Grumman's not going to know what hit him!"

Winry was about to make a move, but Al held up a hand, indicating for them to stop. He pressed the receiver further into his ear.

"Oh my god," he muttered. "Are you serious?!"

"What is it?" asked Winry. "Al, what's happened?"

Al didn't reply. He was too busy listening to his older brother.

"No," he said quietly. "No! No, that's horrible! That can't be! How could- no! Brother, please tell me that's not true!"

Neither Winry nor Granny said anything, as the situation seemed to have exceeded their expectations. Even Den was sitting, waiting patiently for the phone conversation to finish.

Al covered his mouth. Whatever he was hearing, it had come as a massive shock.

"No…" he repeated quietly.

"Alphonse?" said Winry. "Are you okay?"

Al still didn't reply.

"I understand," he said. "Thank you for letting me know, Brother. Tell him I'll be thinking of him and that I hope he makes a full recovery."

He nodded.

"I'll see you soon. Take care, Edward."

He laid the receiver down on its holster.

"Who were you talking about?" asked Granny.

"Al, what's happened?" asked Winry.

Al looked round at them with a face like he was about to scream.

"Something horrible has happened," he explained.

Ed spent quite a while looking down at the receiver in his hands, wishing he could have said more or phrased his side of the conversation a little better.

"How'd he take it?" asked Major Blitz.

"Better than I expected," said Ed, putting the receiver down, "but he was still pretty upset."

He stretched his arms and yawned.

"Guess I'd better find myself a hotel room," he said, "seeing as I'm probably going to be staying here for a while."

He pulled the book out of his trouser lining and held it out to the soldier.

"While I'm doing that," he said, "do you think you can make sure Aerrow gets this? One of his friends found it earlier today and it's pretty important that he reads what's inside."

Major Blitz stared down at the book.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It would take too long to explain," said Ed. "I just think it would be best if he had it. Plus it might take his mind off what's happened."

After a few more seconds of staring, the Major took the book.

"Alright," he said. "I'll get it to him as soon as I can."

Ed smiled in gratitude, and he started walking away in search of the exit.

Major Blitz looked out the window, at the blaze-orange sky and glowing pink clouds that hovered within it. It was amazing how quickly time could pass when you weren't paying attention to it.

Or maybe it was just the time of the year. It was autumn, after all. The nights were drawing in and getting colder and colder. It was only half-past six and the sun was setting, but in a week's time it would probably be down by six o'clock or earlier, and colder still.

He hoped that Aerrow could be returned to his home before the chill properly set in.

Speaking of which, after one final puzzled glance at the book he now held, he set off in the direction of the exit.