Mwahaha! Due to the fact that, gasp! Brace yourself, this story is actually getting close to the end. (Gasp! Oh no! The horror!) Hmmm…I guess that means in order to get everything out I'd have two options (that I'm aware of), one would be to make more chapters but they'd be slightly shorter OR I could make fewer chapters but they'd be slightly longer…hmm…oh well anywhozles. I originally wasn't sure how many chapters I was going to make it…then I could only come up with five more chapter title things (starting with chapter nine) so that adds up to be thirteen chapters…yeah…arrg, I'm rambling! Thank you for all the reviews! –Hugs- Hugs for everyone! –Ran out of snacks T.T- OH! One last thing (which I'd forgotten to mention at the beginning), I'll probably get to the other stories as soon as this one is done! I'm on a roll! And man…I'm scary when I'm on a roll…

Chapter Ten: Silver Lining in the Darkness

Edward was lying on his stomach with his left arm dangling lazily over the side of his cot. He found lying this way put less of a strain on the bullet wounds in his back. Shifting slightly, he turned his head and rested his chin on his right arm facing the tent wall. Many visitors had stopped by to see how he was doing; Ed acknowledged them but seemed rather distracted. Soon Alphonse came in and sat down on a small crate, he looked at his brother for a moment then asked,

"Something's been bothering you brother, are you ok?"

"Just a lot on my mind that's all Al." He muttered.

"Care to share?"

"…" Ed thought for a moment then turned to face Al, "Have you felt any kind of connection with your younger self?" he asked.

"What kind of connection?"

"Like, you feel what he feels."

Al thought about it then said,

"Now that I think about it, yeah, what do you think it means?"

"I don't know yet," Ed then frowned slightly and added, "Let's talk about this later, I'm tired…"

"All right." Alphonse stood up, said good bye to his brother and left. Edward sighed and tried to go to sleep, this was much harder then he thought it would have been considering how exhausted he'd been feeling lately.

--

The younger Edward was sitting just outside the tent his older self had been moved too. He looked very down and didn't seem to be focusing, his younger brother walked up and sat down next to him.

"Brother? You ok?" Al asked.

"Have you been feeling tired lately Al?" Ed asked.

"No, not really."

"Have you noticed anything funny whenever you're around your older self?" Ed then asked. Alphonse looked up and around thoughtfully then said,

"Well, there was this one time. It was really strange, the older me was carrying some dinner treys and some of them fell, landing on his foot."

"And?"

"He said 'Ow!' and…so did I. The strange thing though about it was that even though I didn't feel anything, it was almost like my brain was telling me to say 'Ow!'." Al continued. Ed nodded and said,

"I've been feeling the same thing…"

The brothers sat there for a while, Winry soon joined them. She was coming to check on the older Ed, again, she looked down at the two and smiled,

"Hey, what are you two up too?"

"I could say the same to you…" younger Ed muttered.

"What?" Winry raised an eyebrow and looked at him puzzled. Al looked over at his brother with an expression just as puzzled.

"We're friends right? Well…I've got a right to know what you want." Ed finally said. Winry just laughed slightly and said,

"I was just coming to check on him, that's all. What has gotten into you lately?"

"Hmph…for the third time…" younger Ed grumbled standing up, "I'm going to see what's for dinner." He then sulked off. Al jumped up and shouted,

"Wait for me brother!" he then nodded to Winry saying, "Heh, sorry about that Winry "

"That's…alright." She smiled; she recognized that look on Eds' face. She couldn't help but find it amusing as she walked into the tent.

--

Younger Ed walked up to the man he recognized to be the guy who served dinner and asked,

"Hey, what's for dinner?"

"Oh, it's you! Heh, well I was planing on cookin' up something nice. Stew maybe…I was thinking of usin' up the rest of the milk before it went bad." The man said.

"Egh…" Ed grimaced, "You don't have to tell me what's in it…"

"Ha! Still don't like milk huh!" the man laughed slapping Ed on the back. Edward suddenly cringed and doubled over crying, Al had just caught up and saw his brother on the ground. The other guy was kneeling next to him trying to see what was wrong.

"Aagh!" tears were starting to stream down his face as the shock of being slapped on the back and the sudden wave of pain shooting through his whole upper body. Ed suddenly brought his hands up to his mouth, coughing roughly.

"Brother?" Al rushed over. The pain wasn't too bad for his mind, he could mentally take it, but it was his young body that couldn't. Ed passed out; his hand had spots of blood on it.

--

Winry had been talking with Edward when he suddenly grabbed his chest and grimaced in pain.

"Aagh! Geez…what's this!" he coughed. Winry nearly jumped out of her skin from his sudden movement, but when she recovered she asked shocked,

"Oh my god! What happened!"

"Ngh…ow…I don't know, those wounds just started acting up." His throat became dry as he started coughing roughly. Winry grabbed his right hand, because he was using his left to cover his mouth, and said,

"I'll go get Dr. Marcoh." Ed just nodded, but his eyes were out of focus and he looked ready to pass out. Winry jumped up and ran out of the tent, sure enough, the minute she left he slumped back with his head down, he had a considerable more blood on his hand.

Dr. Marcoh soon arrived; he was carrying the younger Edward with him and was followed close behind by Winry and both Als. He set younger Edward down on a cot next to his older counter part and went to work. When the doctor was finished checking them over he stood up and turned,

"They suffered from the same exact symptoms…I've never seen anything like this before, I'm not really sure what else I can do." He then left, there were other things that needed his attention…even though he'd much rather stay there and try and help the two Edwards.

The two Als were looking at each other, they sort of came to a silent agreement. They both turned and looked at Winry, the older Alphonse speaking first,

"Winry, we think you should know something." She looked up at the two quizzically, younger Al continued.

"We believe that we all have a sort of mental connection, our brothers and us."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well you see, whatever I feel, so does my younger self. The same with brother," older Al explained, "In his case, when the cook slapped his younger self on the back he felt it and it irritated his wounds. Thus resulting the both of them feeling the painful affects."

"I see…"

"We should probably just let them rest." Younger Al said, Winry got up and nodded. They all left the tent leaving the two Edwards alone.

The two regained consciousness at the same time, younger Edward sat up while his older self stayed lying down. Both still feeling kind of shaky and a bit fuzzy brained they didn't say anything for a while. Finally older Ed said something,

"Well…that was interesting…"

"Hmph…" younger Ed crossed his arms and flopped back down on his cot facing away from his older self.

"What? Listen, if your mad about what I said back at the camp…when I came looking for you…I'm sorry. Everything had happened really fast and I was really frustrated, I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"Winry's my friend too you know…"

"Say what?" this comment made the older Edward sit up quickly and making the both of them wince.

"I said, she's my friend too."

"Heh…heheheh…what are you talking," the older Ed paused for a second then sighed, "Are you sure you're sixteen?"

"What do you keep questioning me on that? Yes!"

"Funny, lately you sure haven't been acting it." Older Ed sighed, he then said, "At your age, I'm sure the thought has crossed your mind a time or two."

"And what thought is that!" the younger Ed hissed, he knew what thought his older counter part was talking about but he didn't what to acknowledge it.

"You know the one I'm sure. The one about being with Winry, was it possible? That thought…" older Ed said.

"Oh…"

"You think I'm trying to rob you of that chance…don't you?"

"I…um…well…" younger Ed had a rather sheepishly irritated look on his face now. His older counter part just laughed and said,

"You're jealous of yourself you know…that doesn't make a lot of sense if you ask me. Don't worry about it…"

"What? I am not!"

"Yes you are…I can tell…"

"How!"

"You feel what I feel, I feel what you feel…and I can tell you're jealous. There's no need to be you know that." Older Ed shrugged. Younger Ed thought about it a moment then frowned, he didn't really like his own logic used against him.

"So…you…um…"

"Heh…no…" Older Ed said flatly.

"…" Younger Ed gave him a look.

"Hey, I shouldn't have to explain everything to you! One, you know exactly what I mean and two…you're too young." Older Ed replied, he now had the sheepishly irritated look on his face.

"She likes me best…"

"Hey! Act your age!"

"What are you talking about? I am acting my age…I'm 'ten' aren't I? I should play the part." Younger Ed glared playfully.

"Grow up."

"You'd know!"

When Winry and both Als came back to see how the two Eds were doing, they found the two sleeping. Younger Al walked over to his brother and looked at him,

"You know…he seems peaceful now, he doesn't look so bothered."

"The same is with my brother." The older Al said. The dinner bell rang and Winry told the two younger Elrics to go get something to eat,

"I'll keep an eye on these two, incase they wake up." She added. The two nodded then left. Winry sat down between the two older Elrics and took both their hands,

"You two are always getting yourselves into trouble…what am I going to do with you two?"

-To Be Continued-

Ok I was just getting silly at the end there –sigh-, I seriously ran headfirst into a wall and knocked myself out. The next chapter will actually progress the plot…if this one didn't that is! I never really can tell, I just type what pops into my head…it's insanely touched up so that it makes sense…sorta…anywhozles, yeah…tell me what cha think…I'm sorry if it's just random or confusing or anything else…-sigh-…man I'm sleepy and it's only 10:50 pm non. (This is when I finished typing that is so that means it's 10:50 pm on May 11, 2006). –Yawn!- zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz