----Raven's POV----

The pair had been walking in silence ever since Al had voiced his thoughts on what had not been literally said but could have easily been interoperated as jealousy between Ed and Scar. 'He could be wrong, you know,' Raven told herself not wanting to believe what Al had said was true. She had been treated badly by every boyfriend she had ever had. 'They just think they want you…but some how in the end they become bored with you and leave to find another…it's always the same…always,'


----Normal POV----

The silence was starting to get on Al's nerves, so he decided to be the one to strike up a conversation…again.

"So umm…Raven…I was wondering what other place—Err… I mean world did you come from?" the younger brother asked.

He turned to look at Raven as they continued to walk. Raven's face was unreadable. She continued to look forward fixing her attention on Edo that continued to walk at a decent pace several feet in front of them, with his hands in his pockets from what she could tell.

She took a deep breath, trying to grab a hold on…what exactly she should say…

"Uh…well you see---," another long pause.

"On the lines of appearances our worlds seem to be the same. What I mean by that is your world seems to be an almost exact replica of Europe in the nineteenth century in my world…well at least as far as I can tell." She paused only long enough to fill her oxygen deprived lungs.

"But, the one thing that continues to puzzle me is the laws of science here. In my world you could never take something and break it down into basic atoms and recreate it into something new… that just doesn't happen. To be truthfully honest, I'm still not even sure why transportation alchemy worked. All I really know is that Edo and you are alchemist who are searching for the philosophers stone, so that you can-," Raven tried to finish before she was interrupted by Al.


----Alphonse's POV----

"Raven! My brother only wants the philosopher's stone so that I can have my real body back-," Al would have continued with his statement but realized something was restraining him from continuing forward.

'Huh?'

Slowly he turned his head to his left to find Raven clinging to his left arm.

"What is it?" Al finally decided to ask after a few moments of hesitation.

Her head just hung down as if ashamed, blue eyes glowing in the dimming sky…they were so full of, understanding? Or at least that's what seemed to have been written in those crystal blue eyes.


----Raven POV----

"Alphonse, I know why your brother and you seek the stone, and-," she ended starting to feel light headed.

Her body didn't seem to be hers anymore; it didn't seem to listen to her command to stay in control. Her eyes focused on the source of the pain.

It was a gruesome sight seeing veins and arteries ripped down to shreds right beside torn pieces of flesh; empting a warm crimson liquid. Instinctively her right arm grasped the remains of her left arm.

She had chosen to ignore her body signs earlier trying to tell her that she couldn't go on any longer with out consequence. But she would've done anything to hide how much pain and suffering she was in; from Alphonse and Edward.

"RAVEN!"Alphonse yelled when he noticed Raven's knees buckling underneath her. With out hesitation Al quickly grabbed her before she could hit the hard ground beneath her.

"ED!" screamed Al.


----Ed's POV----

Edward was in deep thought about why Scar had been so interested in Raven…

The night had been silent besides the yells of protective parents calling their children home for the night, and the causal thundering of hooves hitting the hard concrete.

"ED!" an all too familiar voice yelled several feet behind him…

'Al!' Edwards mind panicked, as he turned around to see his brother on his knees holding a slim body in his arms. The light was fading quickly now, and he could just barely make out the figure to be Raven. 'What is wrong with me!' Ed mentally slapped himself. 'How the heck could we forget that we have a girl that has just lost a freakin arm!' his mind finished the sentence as he increased his pace ten fold, now running as fast as his legs would carry him down the hill.

'Almost there! Almost there! …..man I really hate running…if I had longer legs then I would've been there by now,' Ed thought trying to not concentrate on how serious the situation really was, but to no avail. As he continued running; fear of the unknown took over his thoughts…

'What if they won't take her in, I mean Al and I can't watch over her all the time…we have are own problems…'

'What if Scar shows up again…'

'What if she doesn't want to get auto mail?'

'What if out of no where she starts going into a coma from too much blood loss?'

'What if she's not capable of alchemy? Then the military probably won't have any use for her, and they're not going to take care of a girl that they don't have any use for,' the deeper in thought he got, the more he realized that they were facing impractical odds.

When Ed reached his little brother he noticed that Raven was unconscious.


----Normal POV----

Ed reached forward and placed his left hand on the remains of her arm that was bleeding profusely. As he continued to examine her arm, he voiced aloud the oblivious.

"We have to transmute something into a bandage, other wise she won't last long enough to reach the military base…well that is unless we want to risk putting her into a comma,"

"Agreed," Al replied back.

"Now what can we use?" asked Ed puzzled not exactly sure what was available to them to use to make a bandage.

"Got it," Ed said answering his own question, he was about to tear his red cloak when he felt something cold grasp his left arm; he turned his gaze up to meet two mechanical ones.

"Brother, you can use this. I don't need it…" Al replied picking up on Ed's questioning gaze.

"Thanks Al," was Ed's only words realizing that Al was giving him the cloth that hung around his metal waist. Truth be told Al really didn't need it, but it was considered a generous act that was greatly looked upon by his older brother.

Instinctively knowing exactly what to do Ed clapped his hands together, sending a blue electrical charge from his arm into the fabrics of the cloth, changing it into a white bandage.

Quickly Ed wrapped Raven's arm with the bandage, upon contact staining it a crimson color.

"We've got to get her to the hospital at the military base quickly Al, this bandage isn't going to last long." Ed finished in a serious voice.

Al nodded his head, "Understood,"

'Hold on Raven,' Ed and Al mentally said.

Ed reached for her with his left arm first, then followed by his mechanical arm. The only problem was…how in the world was he supposed to get up? His legs didn't have enough muscle power to lift himself and her at the same time…and for that matter he couldn't carry her the rest of the distance to the military base. Ed knew it too, but was too stubborn to admit it.

"Umm…brother…I think I should carry her." Al offered carefully choosing his words in order not to offend his older brother.

"Sure what ever," Ed replied back, supporting her until Al scooped her into his arms in one graceful motion.


-------Back in the Wolf's Rain world------

Kawa and Toboe had been running full throttle for nearly thirty minutes. Kawa's breathing had gotten so out of hand that she could hear her self drawing in each breath. Her legs had gone numb a while back; while her mind seemed to be a little hazy.

'Must be the lack of oxygen,' Kawa told herself.

Toboe had finally looked back to find Kawa sweating badly, while her breathing was labored.

"You okay?" asked the naïve pup as he came to a stop so she could take a little breather.

"Oh yeah, just peachy," Kawa replied back, not meaning to sound sarcastic even though that's the way it came out.

"I'm sorry, do you not do any out door activities?" asked Toboe, pushing Kawa's buttons; but not intentionally.

Her face started twitching, now aggravated that he was picking on her.

"What! Just because I'm not used to this whole being a 'wolf,' thing you're going to start picking on me or something?"

"No that's not it at all, I was just wondering." Stated Toboe trying to get back on her good side.

"It's okay…sorry," replied Kawa as she started sprinting towards where they were supposed to meet Blue and Hige.

In the distance they could see a bridge with what looked to be two wolves in their human illusion.

"Blue and Hige, right?" asked Kawa as Toboe pulled up to her, switching to his human illusion.

"Yeah, and Kawa…"

"Yeah," replied Kawa interested in what Toboe had to say.

'Oh please, oh please tell me that you love me,' thought Kawa.

"You should probably take up your human illusion, because more than likely there will be humans around."

'I so should have known that was coming,' thought Kawa, sarcastically that he hadn't said the words she had waited her whole life to hear.

"Race you!" yelled the brown wolf over his shoulder as he took off towards Hige and Blue.

'Oh don't worry Toboe, your mine…all mine!' as the thought echoed through her mind Kawa had to laugh at her own ambition on making Toboe hers.


------Switching back to Fullmetal alchemist------

The trio had just arrived at the military base. As soon as they had walked inside they slowed down to fast walk.

"HEY YOU! What do you think you're doing in here?" yelled a tall guy that seemed to be about twenty.

'What the h-,' Ed almost finished before the guy had reached them. He was tall, around 6 ft. 2in. from what Ed could tell. He was dressed in the customary military uniform, with brown eyes and jet black hair that was spiked, followed by a silver name plate right over his heart, reading:

Ash Newcurt 'private'

'That explains it, he's the new private under Hughes command,' Thought Ed.

"You're the new private for Hughes, right?" asked Ed already knowing the answer.

"I cannot freely hand out information that concerns the state to a little bo-," the private started before Edward interrupted,

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SHORTY!" yelled Ed going into 'Why the hell did you call me a shorty! Mode'

"Settle down, little guy…I didn't mean any harm," Ash replied, trying to calm Ed down but actually all he did was make the situation worse and Ed started going into another fit.

"I SHOULD HAVE YOUR JOB FOR THIS! HUGHES AND I ARE EXTREAMLY CLOSE! AND-," Ed stated before being interrupted.

"You are to address Major Hughes as Major Hughes!" the private replied back sternly clearly showing nothing but utter respect for his commander.

"DON'T YOU KNOW-," Ed would have went on forever but Al quickly ended the little confrontation on behalf of Raven.

"Excuse me Ash Newcurt but you see my brother is the Fullmetal Alchemist, and you see we need to find Major Hughes because uh… you see we have a bit of a problem on our hands…" Al stated reviling Raven from inside of him. Ed and Al had decided before they entered the building that it would be in their and Raven's best interest to conceal her inside of Al.

Ash starred at Ed for awhile seeming to be deciphering on whether or not he should believe what the armored one had just said. As he turned his piercing green eyes back towards Al he realized that a girl was now cradled in his arms.

"Uh, sure…let me just call up Major Hughes real fast to see if he's open." Stated Ash as he rushed over to the counter and pulled out a phone from behind the mounds of paper work.

"We don't have time for this," Ed stated clearly showing that he was irritated.

"True, but I think it would be a lot easier and probably faster to do things his way," finished Al as he looked down at the fragile body that lay in his arms. The expression on her face stated that she wasn't in a peaceful sleep, but rather a nightmare.

"Brother…what do you suppose is wrong with her?" asked Al, worried what might be bothering her.

"Raven, wake up!" Al almost yelled at her, but to no avail. She nether woke nor did her expression seem to change in the slightest.

"Al," Ed stated sternly but lightened up when he understood by Al's tone that he was haunted by the look on her face, wanting so badly to help her.

He wanted to help her too, but he understood all too well that they couldn't help with the battle that was going on between her and her body. All that they could do was tend to her physical wounds, nothing else. She alone had to win the battle…the battle to live.


DC: hey guys been awhile since I last up dated…okay, okay it's been a LONG time since I last up dated.

But I promise I'll try not to do that to you guys ever again. I'll try to up date on a regular bases. The next chapter will explain in more detail what Edward means by the battle to live. For most of you, you'll probably get it...but just in case. And if you've read 'its just the way things are then you will have meet ash before he was one of the dudes yes i said 'dudes'! in Tsume's gang.

Toboe wolf normally writers her own stuff but she's going through a writers block so I filled in for her this time.

Anyways I hope you guys like and I'll more than likely up date again in the next couple of days, and I'll update the other fanfic.s

runs around screaming like a little girl "YES! THE DOC. THINGIE FINALLY LET ME IN! I had this done on sunday and i tried to post like ten-fifteen times (just goes to show how much you guys are loved)

Just remember Reviewing means you care ;)