Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Fullmetal alchemist. They belong to their respective owners and not me.

Shadows of the past.

Edward and Alphonse both stood around in a hallway, looking like lost little bunny rabbits in a field as each of them carried one of the older brother's children; Ed held Edmund and Al held Trisha.

The Elric brothers tried to relax after what had happened tonight and they tried to piece together the puzzle of what had occurred.

After vacating the flaming house, Ed and Alphonse had migrated into the old Automobile shop to try and get some comfort and some things packed for the long journey they had no choice but to go on; Winry had apparently been kidnapped since they couldn't find her anywhere and Ed wasn't about to let anyone get away with stealing his wife away. After the two they got the details of what exactly happened, Ed planned to get to Amestris where he and Al hoped to find the Colonel and the former hoped to see if they could get any information out of him about this new threat that the scroll had mentioned.

They planned to stay until nighttime so they had plenty of time to pack some spare clothes and other accessories and such and even plan some transportation from the local train station.

Whence the Elric brothers had finally finished packing, however, another big problem occurred: both of the little children were crying as loud as they could and shivering from the shock and trauma they undoubtedly felt.

Pacing around in circles, Edward patted his son's back gingerly and repeatedly as he walked with an expression of exhaustion and slight weariness.

Alphonse did the same, except with his niece, and he had a look that mirrored his brother but without the weariness as he tried to soothe poor the little girl who screeched right in his ear.

The two youngsters had been going at this for almost an hour!

"P-Please stop crying, guys, I'm begging you..." Ed pleaded softly, his voice strained from how tired he was whilst he patted his little son's back to try and calm him down.

The little toddler, though, didn't listen and just continued bawling out of grief for what had happened and, honestly, Edward couldn't blame either of his children for being like this; their mother had just been kidnapped and they had lost their home, they were also cold and hungry so they had every right to be frightened.

"What're we gonna do, brother? Neither of them are calming down..." Alphonse sighed as he held on to Trisha just a bit tighter, trying to rock her from side-to-side whilst she wailed as loudly as she could over his shoulder.

The tiny baby shivered in her uncle's arms as the wailed as loud as her lungs would let her, tears streaming down her cheeks as she was obviously in distress.

Al gingerly hugged the infant over his shoulder and softly patted her back to calm her down, but to no avail. She just continued to cry and bawl repeatedly with tears endlessly streaming down her small pudgy cheeks, Trisha looked absolutely distraught and her small voice was even so hoarse that it was mellowed down into a tiny squeal.

It was obvious that she was still yowling as loud as she could, though.

Edward didn't respond since he had just started to ponder on what he could do, he was the father of the children and he should know how to calm them both down.

He smiled just a bit when an idea dawned on him.

"Al, would you mind transmuting a cradle in here?"

Alphonse looked at Ed as if he had gone insane for a second. A cradle? Well, he kind of had to since the ex-alchemist couldn't do it for obvious reasons and if it would bring some peace and quiet then he was willing to do anything right then.

Alphonse quickly handed Trisha to Ed before he proceeded to kneel down to the ground with a face full of concentration. He removed a small chunk of wood he had managed to keep in his pocket and he placed it down on the ground, not before drawing a small alchemic circle around it.

He closed his eyes and focused on something deep as he let the energy flow through his hands, partly oblivious to the fact that the circle he had drawn was glowing brightly as the wooden chunk had vanished in a puff of smoke.

So, opening his eyes, Al carefully stood up and admired his instantaneous handiwork as he beheld a small cradle which was a bit small but it could hold little Trisha inside of it.

Removing Eddie from Edward's care, Al watched carefully as his big brother knelt down and carefully lain his crying daughter inside the cradle and started to gently push the headboard as it started to tip from side-to-side as to rock the infant resting inside.

Edward smiled gingerly as his daughter finally stopped crying and gazed up at her father with teary eyes, her lips trembling as she sniffled and sobbed. The poor girl seemed to be slightly upset but at least she was calming down. Trisha eventually yawned tiredly as her eyes started to grow droopy and she cooed, softly gripping Ed's finger as she started to drift off to sleep with a peaceful little gleam in her eyes.

Even after she dozed off, Ed didn't stop tipping the cradles weight from side-to-side, he just wanted to keep doing it just a bit longer, even though his legs were starting to cramp due to the awkward posture he was having to sit in at the moment, he wished he could do this for the rest of his life -he still loved his children and nothing would change that.

But he felt responsible for the misery they were feeling.

Ed smiled even more upon seeing his daughter now calm and peacefully content. He gently swept some of the girl's fringe aside and kissed her forehead with a smile of adoration tugging at his lips.

"That's my girl..."

That was one of his children pacified, now he just needed to calm his son.

"Uncle Awphonse...d-d-dad..." Eddie murmured whilst shivering frightfully in Alphonse's arms.

Edward felt his heart break towards his son. Edmund must have been positively traumatised by what had happened and he seemed to have been crying and shivering non-stop since he and Trisha had been rescued from the blazing building they once called home. The poor boy sniffled and continued to shake, clearly petrified beyond words.

Actually, he may have already been losing some of his sanity.

The boy had always been a shy and jumpy little kid, always frightened of his own shadow, but never had he been this bad before.

Edward shrugged off his jacket and delicately lowered it on his son's shoulders, proceeding to bundle him up in the piece of clothing and then gingerly sitting him down on his knee as he tried to calm the boy down by stroking his head and repeatedly cooing in his ear, holding him close and tight.

The ex-full metal alchemist done this two minutes before he noticed that Eddie's whimpering had started to die down just a bit as well as his shuddering. He finally decided to slowly ease his hold on the boy and he started to ask what he wanted to know.

"Alright...can you tell me what happened after Uncle Alphonse and I left?" Edward asked as delicately as possible.

Ed knew that the poor boy was probably feeling very frightened by whatever was going on. He could hear the boy sniffling and judging by his breathing pattern, he was on the verge of hyperventilating and possibly going into a panic attack as he clung on so tight to his father that he was basically and almost literally attached to him. He was very hard to pry off.

Eddie calmed down enough to answer, though, as he gripped tight on to the jacket that had been wrapped around his small body and squeezed his watery eyes shut at the memories that flooded through his little mind.

He choked on his own words for a moment before he finally forced himself to speak, albeit his voice was very strained and squeaky as he spoke.

"A-A-After you weft, M-Mama suddenly heard the door making loud sounds and she went to a-ans-s-swer it," Edmund's eyes continued to glisten with tears as he recounted what had happened, especially the vague parts "s-she had just woken us up from our sleep and p-put us in the little room, s-she told us to stay in there and n-not come out until either she swaid so or Daddy came back."

Edward and Alphonse listened intently to what the tiny little boy said, hanging on his every word. From what they were hearing, they imagined that Winry had known that danger was literally knocking on the door and she awoke the children from their naps and hid them inside the closet so she could confront said danger without dragging the children into it.

What this danger was, though, puzzled Alphonse but Edward seemed to have a good idea what or who they were dealing with.

Al cast a quick glance over to his brother and noticed that he had a darkening look on his face as he listened. He was desperately confused, just why was his big brother looking like that? Why was he acting so strangely ever since that...! It was then that the pieces of the puzzle clicked in the younger brother's mind as he realised that all this had to have been connected to that letter.

He knew that he'd have to ask Ed about it later...

But then Edmund continued "We h-h-heard some loud sounds, and then we heard a clapping sound and t-then the h-h-h-house started to go on fire!"

This last bit was truly disturbing to hear. A clapping sound and then the house burst into flames? That sounded very familiar, way too familiar. That couldn't be...the only one who knew flame alchemy would have to have been the flame alchemist himself. Neither of the Elric brothers spoke a word as their faces paled, the colour draining from their faces as they came to the realisation that they REALLY needed to go to Central and have a good long chat with Mustang.

The colonel was not only the future fuehrer but he was also the expert of flame alchemy; there shouldn't be anyone with any knowledge of flame alchemy and the colonel wouldn't stoop so low as to burn down a house and kidnap Ed's wife...no, scratch that, he would never do such a thing!

But they were brought back to reality whence they heard the sharp and heavy inhaled sobbing coming from the tiny child. He was sobbing as he clung on tightly to his father, trembling and shaking as he cried himself hoarse.

"I-I-I'm so s-s-s-sorry, daddy!"

It was a heartbreaking scene as the two Elric brothers watched.

This strange foreign danger that lurked had struck already and done so in a way that hurled Edward in the deepest and darkest holes of emotional agony imaginable, yet he knew this pain...and he knew he had to be strong.

He had to be strong for his son and daughter right now, they took up top priority now; both Winry and himself had agreed that their children's well being was to be considered more important than themselves.

So, gently prying an hysterically crying Edmund away from his chest, Edward frowned a little firmer bit at him and started to stroke his head while he ordered directly yet softly, "Look at me."

The boy wiped his eyes with his tiny pudgy arms, still sobbing and shivering uncontrollably.

Ed gripped on to his son's shoulders and got him to stare him right in the eye so they met each other's gazes -sharp golden eyes meeting heartbroken innocent blue ones.

"Edmund, I know what you're going through. You feel like your whole world had opened up from beneath you and you fell into a deep dark hole. You try and try to claw your way out of that hole and you feel like nothing can fix it."

Edward managed a small but a heartfelt smile at his son, his golden eyes shimmering with goodwill "But listen. There's no such thing as a painless lesson, they just don't exist; but sacrifices are necessary and you can't gain something without losing something first."

Little Eddie looked right into Edward's face, tearful eyes wide with intrigue. Even Al was looking at his big brother as if he had gone mad and he seemed somewhat confused about something.

The former alchemist continued speaking regardless, "Although, if you can endure that pain and walk away from it, then you'll have a heart strong enough to overcome any obstacle."

The little sniffling boy blinked. He didn't know whether it was the way his father spoke or if it was the words but something clicked inside his head just then. His young brain couldn't comprehend just what he was being told, he couldn't simply latch on to it...but there was something that made the boy feel a hint of hope and he finally spoke with a hiccup.

"R-Really...?"

Ed, closed his eyes and nodded, gently rustling his son's head and making him smile just a bit "Yes. A heart made fullmetal..."

Edmund looked down at his own lap as if to ponder on what exactly he was just told. His mind still couldn't comprehend much of what had just been spoken to him yet he found those words spoken by his very own father had given him just a little bit of hope. It may have been about the size of a grain of sand but it was still there and he wasn't about to let it slip from his little pudgy fingers.

Ed looked down at his son and brushed his finger along his scalp whilst he made a promise "Look, we'll go on a trip to save your mother. Until we find her, you have to stay strong for your little sister, alright?"

Eddie didn't even hesitate to nod as he smiled a bit for the very first time that night. It was a small smile but it was a smile nonetheless and Ed couldn't have been more prouder, and more shocked with himself that he had actually spoken in such a way. He had to wonder if he sounded too corny or anything, he knew that colonel Mustang would never let him live it down...

Eddie's eyelids seemed to droop heavily as they covered half his eyes.

"U-Um, alright, dad..."

Edward patted his son's back gingerly and let him close his eyes gently whilst the boy lain against his chest. The former was feeling a bit more relaxed now that his son had calmed down but Al seemed to be very impressed with how he handled that.

He sat down beside his older brother and smiled at him gently as he patted his shoulder in a praising gesture.

"That was the right thing to do, Ed, good job."

Edward nodded at Alphonse and looked down at the boy snuggled up in the oversized jacket. The child seemed to have been a bit more at ease with the situation as he had clearly fallen asleep, the soft and gentle snoring being an indicator of this.

The former alchemist exhaled softly as he kept his eyes on the little toddler whom had been bundled up.

"Thank you, Al. I just couldn't let the little guy blame himself for something that was out of his control. He reminded me of..." He paused, glancing off to the side with hurt in his eyes "...me on that night we tried to bring or own mother back."

Alphonse looked down at his lap for several moments in deep thought. Ed must have been reminded of the beginning of that journey four years ago, of when they lost their mother, of when they tried to bring her back and Al lost his body in the process. Ed traded both one of his arms and one of his legs and had them replaced with cybernetic limbs. What's more, they burnt down their home to forget about those dreaded memoirs that had defined them.

That fateful night, Edward had very nearly been so traumatised to the point of giving up on everything.

It was after meeting the colonel and major of Amestris that those fires of hope returned to Ed's eyes and they started their long trek to get their bodies back all by themselves.

It had been long and perilous yet, somehow, they had clawed their way through tremendous heartache and laughed through the good times and cried at the bad. They managed to accomplish it all in the end, even discovering that sometimes even the truth was very hard to reach.

Al's eyes lit up like candlelights and he grinned as he patted Ed on the back supportively "But those kids have something we didn't, brother: a father to help them through the pain."

Ed smiled a tad upon hearing that. Just after returning to Resembol, they had learnt that Von Hohemheim (their father) had died right by their mother's grave. Even though the man hadn't been there physically, he had been in the background supporting them...even if he was depressingly hopeless sometimes.

Hohemheim wasn't there.

But he was.

He wasn't going anywhere.

The former fullmetal alchemist held his son just a bit tighter and he exhaled heavily whilst he pushed himself up from the seat and got to his feet, the sounds of his automail leg creaking as he stood up, and he looked over at his little brother with eyes full of wistfulness and a frown filled with determination.

"We have to pack up. I'll go and ask Granny to help with my leg and pack up some stuff for the kids."

Alphonse took a sleeping Eddie from Ed and nodded dutifully "And I'll go and book a train."

"Are you sure you should take the children with you instead of leaving them here with me?" Pinako inquired as she glanced over at the two brothers.

The duo along with the children had all stood outside the door, looking the little old lady in the glasses lens. The wind gently blew at their hairs, making them bristle against the cool night breeze. Ed carried Eddie with one arm and held a big suitcase with the other, Al carried Trisha who had been bundled up in a blanket to protect her from the cold.

Needless to say, Ed was very eager to get going. They were just about to leave in search of answers and, hopefully, Winry.

Edward nodded his head stiffly with a firm frown.

"There's a new threat hunting me and everyone I love, I think it would be safer if they came with us and I don't want them hurting you either."

The old woman almost didn't believe what she heard. It was unexpected to hear that come from the very same man who she would insult and he would insult back, albeit in a somewhat friendly manner, and she could tell by him saying this that whatever situation this was that it was then it was severely important.

"...Alright." Pinako heaved a heavy sigh, retrieving a pair of scarfs from one of the pegs before she headed back towards the boy's and handing each long piece of material to the young men whom were just about to leave, with the children already fast asleep in each of their arms.

Ed frowned as he arched a brow curiously as he looked down at the little old woman who proceeded to remove her glasses and wipe at the lenses with her cotton apron to try and make sure her vision would be well-cleansed.

Upon opening the door, a cold evening draft engulfed the whole entire home and made the inhabitants shudder.

Pinako looked up at Ed and Al whom looked back down at her, the silence between the three of them was greatly disturbing and it even made Edward nervous. The children continued to sleep away in the silence of the outdoors, subconsciously clinging on to their respective guardians whom only stood as still as tombstones.

Ed took the scarf uneasily and wrapped it around his own neck, being careful not to move around too much and wake Eddie. He was happy to be all packed, yet he worried about the impending threat and he dreaded meeting them face-to-face.

Especially the person intent on hurting those close to the former alchemist to get to him.

Alphonse had no idea about it either and, knowing he will be demanding answers very soon, he decided to explain when they were on the train.

Pinako shook her head and sighed whilst she regretfully hung her head low, she said solemnly "Please...just be careful, boys, and bring my granddaughter home safe and sound..."

Ed clenched his teeth, his eyes widening and starting to water. He tried to smile to assure her but he couldn't bring himself to do it, he tried to bring hope to her but he was quite close to crumbling emotionally.

He even took a moment to look down at his hand, where a familiar lock of yellow/blonde hair lain in his palm unharmed and untouched.

He closed his fist over the strand of hair and spoke "We will."

Within seconds, the ex-fullmetal alchemist made started to walk in a hastened pace out into the wilderness.

After wrapping his own scarf around his neck, Alphonse looked out the door with wide eyes; He was shocked his older brother could move so fast, he had to wonder how he had managed to gain that energy. He supposed that he just wanted to avoid anyone seeing him cry again, being a father was supposedly something that could make a man do anything as long as he had his family in mind.

But Alphonse was very concerned about his big brother, he was worried that Winry's disappearance was affecting his mentality greatly, but what was more was that his niece and nephew were probably even more traumatised by the evenings events and that doubled with their mother's unknown whereabouts.

Trisha was still cradled in Al's arms and the baby started to whimper as she squirmed and stirred in her sleep. Her little face was tight and tears threatened to seep through her closed eyes and trail down her little pudgy cheeks. The poor little baby seemed to have been having a nightmare and Alphonse would have never wished this upon any child, especially if the children in query was his nephew and niece.

So, lifting the baby up so her face could become buried against his shoulder and he started to gently sway on his feet as he calmed her. He gently cradled the tiny seven-month-old infant before he repositioned her in one arm and popped her green dummy into her mouth so Trisha could contently suck on it.

Ed somehow managed to salvage at least one thing from the devastating fire.

So, satisfied that the 7-month-old was a bit more content, Alphonse then started to go after Edward whom was probably far ahead of him by now.

He nodded gratefully at the little old woman and proceeded to walk out the door and try and catch up with Edward by breaking into a steady jog as if to avoid tripping and dropping the baby he carried. He sighed as he felt the cool night air brush his face, ruffling his blonde-bronze hair as the moist breeze dampened his scalp a bit whilst the wind kicked up some leaves that were on the ground, the leaves that had been left over from autumn.

The younger brother eventually caught up and both Ed and Al were walking alongside each other on the long dirt road. All was silent and somewhat peaceful as they both glared determinedly at the road ahead, determined to set things right.

The Elric brothers knew that this journey would be long and Alphonse knew that Ed would stop at nothing until he had his wife back safe and sound. But Al also knew that Edward was going to have to fully embrace the idea of being a father now, a single parent for now at the very least.

But they had hope that Winry would be found in Amestris under the care of Mustang and Hawkeye.

The two brothers knew that as long as they stayed together then they could accomplish anything, they were a team.

A/N: Alright. First things first. I have to ask if you recognise one of those sentences in this chapter, namely Ed's. I just thought it would be cool to add in there for some reason.

Anyway, we might see Mei in the next chapter.

I hope you all like this story so far and I hope to see more reviews, I love those.

-Chloemcg