Hey, everyone!

I'm sorry I haven't updated Pulse in a while. But I hope you enjoy this new chapter, and feedback is always appreciated!

Enjoy!

For hours Fletcher mourned. Staining Al's red coat with his tears, he remained attached to the younger Elric brother, sobbing uncontrollably and mumbling Russell's name. Al rested his head on Fletcher's and tightened his grip slightly. Meanwhile, Ed and Kira talked.

"Ed, we have no other choice. We must put the god into Russell's body!" Kira said.

"No! I can't! I don't want to trap them in such a vicious cycle!" Ed argued.

"But it would save his life. Think of Fletcher. How do you think Al would feel in such a situation?!" Kira snapped. The golden haired boy bit his lip.

"He already knows how it feels. He saw me die, right before his eyes." Ed hissed. Al shivered.

"What a pain..." a male voice hissed. A gold light emerged from Edward, a human face materializing in it. It was a very handsome boy, about Ed's age, who looked annoyed.

"Can you children stop fighting? It's giving me a headache," he sneered.

"What?! Are you...the god?" Ed asked. The boy laughed briskly.

"I'm guessing so. So, do you want to save this guy or not?!" He asked coldly. Both Kira and Ed nodded.

"All right! So what happens is I lend you my power so you can find this guy's soul, and if you find it in time, you save his life. If not, he goes to purgatory and you lose him forever. Sound good?"

"Yes, but where do we find his soul?" Ed asked.

"Could be anywhere. I say look for the things he treasured most." the god replied.

"And how long do we have until we lose his soul? What happens when we do?" Kira asked.

"The soul usually has about a week to move on until Lady Judgement whisks them away to purgatory. As for the second question, if you win, I'll tell you. Okay?"

Ed shivered with a smirk on his face.

"Sounds good. Let's go!"

The god smiled. A white light appeared in Ed's hands. A crescent shaped object materialized. Carved into it were suffering faces.

"That's my special instrument, the Harp of Shattered Souls. It can detect shattered soul fragments. Use the girl's aura detecting ability as well. Good luck!"

With that, the god exploded into light.

Ed observed this unusual harp. The mouths of the faces on the instrument seemed to be moving, as if they were actually screaming. Ed noticed he could hear a quiet, moaning noise. Kira and Al had turned their attention to the sound. Almost automatically, Al stood up and followed the sound down the hall and into a room across from where Russell had passed away. Ed and Kira followed. Al seemed to be enchanted by a locket that was eminating a sad blue aura. He picked it up as the blue aura surrounding it drew away from the locket and floated over to the harp. A small face on the harp claimed this aura, a face that looked like Russell. The face looked at ease when it absorbed the aura, but it's smile was pained.

"He's...in pain, isn't he?" Ed asked. Al faced him. He nodded.

"Yeah, he is. But why would his soul break into pieces?" Al asked.

"He was sad. I'm assuming he didn't want to die." Fletcher said in a sad voice. All attention turned to the door. He pointed at the locket, which Ed handed to him. He popped it open. Inside was a picture of a girl, her beauty intensified by her demure smile.

"A girl named Isabella gave him that locket. When she died, Russell held on to that locket so dearly. He loved her so much." Fletcher said. Both Elric brothers nodded.

"...Come on. We don't have much time." Ed said.