This is how to get into the deep, dark place that is Edward's mind... Not that anyone would really want to go there, but y'know...

Still waiting for Hiromu Arakawa to call me up and give me the rights to FMA. So far it's slow in coming.

My Misadventures in Alchemy II: Waking the Gate

Chapter 9: What Lies Beneath

"Hypnotism?"

Freddy sighed and shrugged, leading me up the walkway to a large house I didn't recognise. She didn't turn around and I couldn't help but stare at her back a moment. When she stopped on the front porch, I stood beside her, scanning her features for some sign that she was fibbing. She wasn't. I rubbed my brow a moment, looking at the front door without seeing it, then back at her.

"Seriously?"

She quirked a brow as she folded her arms, giving me a slight grin. I shifted on the spot, more than a little uncomfortable. I didn't like people in my head. The only people I like in my head are me and that little voice that tells me to do things called my conscience. Which oddly enough sounds like Al. That makes me sound crazy, doesn't it? I sighed. Was the type of hypnotism I was thinking of the same that she was thinking of?

"Hypnotism as in 'listen to my voice, follow the pocket watch' hypnotism?"

"Oh, that reminds me! Can I borrow your pocket watch?"

My jaw dropped. She was dead serious about this! She was really going to put me under and tinker around in my mind until she found what she needed. The words 'mind rape' settled in front of my eyes and I shook my head, turning on my heel to march back to the van.

"Oh no! Nope, not happening!"

"Ed, please!"

I felt arms wrap around my waist and I was brought to an abrupt halt. Red hair entered my field of vision and I stubbornly cross my arms as I refused to look at Freddy. She stood on tiptoe to meet my eyelevel and I knit my brow as she spoke.

"Come on! I won't let anything happen to you! If this doesn't work then we try something else, what's there to lose by giving it a shot?"

I huffed. She was right. There was nothing to lose by giving this a shot: It could only benefit us. I tapped my fingers against my automail, frowning as I thought. At last I shrugged and nodded.

"Fine. I'll try it."

"Thank you! I promise, no embarrassing videos on YouTube!"

"What?"

I wasn't rewarded with an answer before she knocked on the door, which was opened instantly as a blur of black and red hopped out and wrapped itself around Freddy. I raised an eyebrow as a girl with Winry Rockbell's face hugged her, pulling back to greet us. I scanned her. Black hair, black t-shirt and red pajama pants, which had black cats on them. Even her bracelets were black. When she talked I saw the tongue ring and I couldn't help but shiver. I'd never be able to look at Winry the same way again!

"Hi there! You must be Edward!"

Word gets around fast here, doesn't it?

"I must be."

We were dragged into the house, introductions passed around and Terry walking off into the kitchen. I looked around the room nervously, trying to put the thought of what these two girls were going to do to me out of my mind. I looked over at Freddy, who shuffled beside me as we stood in the hall waiting. Terry returned with two steaming mugs and the scent made me smile in appreciation.

Coffee!

I held out my hand, but one mug was passed to Freddy and the other Terry raised to her lips. I frowned and Freddy gave me an apologetic look.

"Hypnotism works best when you're tired. Sorry, no coffee for you."

I stared agape at her. She keeps me up half the night to repeat the dream, forces me to drag myself out of warm blankets and get dressed, takes me on a twenty minute car ride to a gothic rendition of my best friend so I could have the deepest part of my mind exposed. And now she was denying me coffee! I shook my head as I watched her.

"You're cruel! You're evil! You're a sadist!"

"You can have some when we're done."

"You're pretty!"

Freddy rolled her eyes and grabbed my arm as we were led into a Terry's bedroom. It reminded me of a cartoon Seth had been watching once, 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' I believe. Dark walls, posters of demonic-looking creatures with black roses and sad faces. I shivered. Forget looking at Winry the same, I'd never be able to go to the Rockbell house again!

Now that we were here, it was all business. I sat on the bed and Freddy stood nearby, watching me as Terry got a few things together. Pulling a chair in front of me, Terry tied her hair back out of her eyes and smiled. I shuffled, nervous, and glanced at Freddy, who gave me a smile that wasn't all too reassuring. Terry's voice made me swallow deeply and I met her eyes.

"Okay Edward, close your eyes and try to relax. This only works when you relax."

I sighed and did as I was told, the room, Terry and Freddy disappearing as I let my eyes slide closed. I sighed, letting my eyes adjust to the sudden darkness, trying to focus on relaxing. It was hard to do considering I knew that my entire mental state was in the hands of a teenage girl.

"Don't focus on anything but relaxing, deep breaths, clear mind…"

Terry's voice had taken a softer tone, as if trying to calm me, but it did the exact opposite. With my eyes shut and the room still, all I could notice was the small things. I could hear the sounds of the world outside stirring into life, the smell of the coffee, the feeling of my hair tickling my neck… I frowned and shrugged, trying to move my braid.

"Edward, don't move, let your muscles loosen, deep breaths. Relax."

If she said the word 'relax' one more time… This was annoying. I flopped down on the bed, growling in frustration. I wanted answers, I wanted to figure out this dream, find a way home and get back to Al. I didn't want to lay here doing breathing exercises! I could feel my body strumming, my muscles tight in aggravation, fists curled as I tried to slow my breathing, tried to calm my pounding heart. My mind buzzed with flashes of the dream, of how I ended up here, of my stay here since. I could hear rustling again and Terry's voice.

"Just relax."

I frowned.

"How about I dictate and you relax?"

I snapped and could hear a frustrated sigh from Winry's doppelganger. A moment later I felt a soft hand slip into my left and a warm presence beside me. There was a familiar scent and Freddy spoke softly near my ear.

"Ed, please… Just try, okay?"

I peaked an eye open and looked over at her. Her brow was knit and her eyes had a pleading look of concern, her lips in a tentative smile. I stared at her a moment, then sighed as I closed my eye, squeezing her hand.

"Fine, I'll try."

She didn't pull her hand away and that helped somewhat. I tried slowing my breathing, willing my muscles to loosen, my mind to stop buzzing. I could feel Freddy's hand in mine, her thumb stroking the skin on the back, and I focused on that. On the warmth, on the slight tickle of it. It had been a while since we'd held hands and it was nice to have taken another step closer to being on good terms again.

I parted my lips, letting my breath come in slight puffs, feeling my heart become sluggish, almost as if I was asleep but not. Before I knew it my body felt heavy, my muscles like bricks and I couldn't move them even if I'd wanted. I could see darkness, but with swirls like smoke in front of my eyes. I watched as it curled and rippled in front of me, wanting to reach out and grasp it for some reason, but quite content to just observe. It was so calming.

"Let's go back to the dream, Edward."

Terry's voice came as a slight surprise to me. I had almost forgotten she was there. All at one I felt completely awake. Dammit, so close and yet so far! I groaned and huffed, shuffling on the bed. I shook my head as I growled.

"This isn't going to work-"

I opened my eyes and stopped mid sentence. I wasn't expecting what I saw.

I was back in the dorm rooms in Central, standing in the middle of the glowing transmutation circle. The wind was blowing all around, swirling my coat around me and I felt cold. My hair was in my eyes and the howling was deafening in my ears, I shivered as looked around me in amazement. The room was dark, like it had been in the dream, curtains closed and no light but the red glow from the circle at my feet. It felt so real.

"Woah…"

"Edward."

I looked to my left, where the beds of the dorm should be, eyes wide to see Terry sitting on the end of my bed, Freddy standing next to her. They look calm, untouched by anything around them. They weren't in the dream. Why are they here now? I knit my brow to see Terry was talking, but I couldn't quite make out what she was saying over the gusts in my ears.

"What? I can't hear… The wind…"

"Drown out the wind, Edward."

The words are clear as if she is right beside me and all at once the wind is gone, the room settling and filling with near silence in its absence. The notes on the table still and my coat hangs from me, which I pull closer to fight the cold that I still feel. I look back up at Freddy and Terry, blinking as the later speaks.

"Focus on the dream, Edward. Are you in the dream?"

I swallow against a lump in my throat, nodding. I look around the room again, glancing down at the transmutation circle at my feet. The tell-tale red glow makes me nervous, but I look back up at Terry.

"Yeah, I'm here. In the dorms. But you weren't! You or Freddy weren't in my dream!"

"Shh, don't mind us. Focus on what's happening."

My attention is pulled ahead of me and I see Al standing there when he hadn't been a moment before. I smile at the sight of him and I know that he can see me as he looks me over. I watch as he takes a step closer, stopping a few inches from the circle.

"Brother!"

"Al!"

I grin and he moves towards me, steps faltering as he moves to enter the circle, as if a glass barrier kept him from coming closer. I am about to move towards him, but my legs are heavy and I can't lift my feet from the ground. My smile fades to fear when Al looks around anxiously and Terry's voice speaks to me.

"What's happening, Edward?"

I look over at her and realise that while I can see her and Freddy, they can't see me or anything else. I stare wide eyed, then return my gaze to my brother.

"It's Al! He's here! But he can't get to me, he can't get into the circle!"

I watch as Al tries again, but fails to get into the circle. I turn to Terry, who looks confused. She speaks to Freddy, though I can't hear what she's saying, and I know by the way Freddy looks she is telling a lie as she replies. I also know that she is scared. Terry turns back to me and I return to Al as he speaks.

"Brother! Get out of the circle! Get out of the rebound! Come back!"

"Al!"

I tried to move again, trying to lift the lead weights that were my legs and get out. I look down when I feel the familiar grip of small black hands. The Gate cretins were holding me back from my brother. I growl and fight against their hold, snarling as they snake their way up my body. No, it's happening so much faster than in the dream! Why won't Terry and Freddy help? I feel them grab tight, squeezing my stomach, chest, shoulders…

"Brother, help!"

I look up to see Al is no longer watching me, but rather staring at the dorm room door, stance mimicking what we had learned from Teacher. There is a loud bang and Al jumps, glancing back at me nervously. I fight their hold, screaming out his name, fighting to push the sticky hands from my eyes, my mouth.

"Al! Al, what's wrong? Al! Alphonse!"

Hands cover my mouth and nose and precious oxygen is cut off. I squirm, feeling myself be dragged into the Gate, my struggles useless to free myself. My limbs were growing heavier and I was having trouble coordinating my movements. My mind was spinning and I could see dots in front my eyes as my lungs screamed for air. Wake me up, damn it! Freddy, Terry, do something!

"Edward, wake up!"

I taste sweet air as it fills my lungs and my heavy body lifts from the bed as I bolt up. I collide roughly into something and arms wrap around me. I open my eyes and red hair tickles my face. Freddy's voice whispers into my ear to calm me, hands rubbing my back as I cling to her, gulping my breath back.

"Shh, Ed. You're awake, you're safe."

I see Terry over Freddy's shoulder, giving me a look of curiosity. When she sees I am looking at her, she blushes and scurries out of the room, leaving me holding onto Freddy like a lifeline. Long after my breathing slows, I pull away from her, swallowing as I met her scared eyes.

"It's Al. I think he needs help."

When I wrote the part about embarrassing videos on YouTube, I had an image of Ed acting like a chicken and Freddy grinning behind a camcorder. A little longer than I had initially planned. I'm hoping to get the next one up before Christmas. But I work retail and it's shopping season, so I may not survive. If not, this is my loving tribute.