A/N: Despite the title, this is not The End. I wish it were April Fools and I could just leave it like that. Anyway, I did kind of lie in the other author's note. There is no action in this chapter. It hints at it, but no real action. I think it worked better this way. Later, maybe? And yes, there would be a later. Definitely a later. This would be such a terrible ending...

Now I'm typing it up and almost laughing at how overly dramatic it is. Sorry, I can't ever take my own stuff seriously. Please try to take this seriously. Please.

Ehm... Anyway, this is one of the last few things I have planned for this story. There is a bit more, like what happens in the next chapter and the basic plot for the rest of it, but other than that, I have nothing. I actually haven't even thought about the actual ending too much, even though that's usually one of the first things I plan (oddly enough, since I never usually get there either). Anyway, happy ending or sad ending? To what extreme? I may not agree with you, but any ideas are welcome.

The tape recorder will not speak here, but the message is still the same. ("Enjoy!")

The End

"Al, I need to tell you something." They were words I had spoken before. Words Al had assured me later were not necessary.

"What is it?" His deeper voice was laced with sleepiness. I stared at the ceiling. It couldn't hurt to wait until morning, could it?

"It's nothing, Al."

"'Kay." A pause. "G' night, Ed." I smiled.

"Good night, Al."

I didn't get very much sleep that night.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

The days passed in hazy indecision. I couldn't gather up the courage to tell him that his brother was dead. That I had killed him. However, Alphonse had, of course, noticed the odd looks I had been giving him.

"Ed... If you have to go again, we just have to live out life to the fullest now!"

It only cut deeper. He didn't know. I couldn't tell him.

And now, it was too late. Something had happened, and I couldn't find him in the mindless panic of the other students.

Apparently, the Death Eaters were attacking. There was a symbol in the shape of a skull above the castle. Somebody had died, the other Ravenclaws told me.

And if it was Alphonse, even this world's Alphonse, I couldn't live with myself.

"Al!" I called out, panicked as I rushed through the seemingly-endless corridors. "Alphonse! Where are you?"

There was no reply from him, and the few remaining students in the halls were giving me sympathetic looks.

"Hey, Ed!" one of them called. I ran over to him.

"Do you know where Al is?" I asked frantically. "He's not in the dorms and I can't –"

"Hey, easy there." Dimly, I recognized him as one of the prefects. What did it matter anyway? "Al told me that you'd go looking for him. He asked if I'd keep you safe."

No... Damn it, Al, don't you ever understand? I'm the older brother. I'm supposed to protect you!

"Where is he?" I demanded.

"He said to –"

"I don't care what he said!" I snarled. "Just tell me where he is!" The prefect's face paled.

"Are you sure –"

"Yes, damn it!" He gulped.

"He joined the fighting, near the observatory –" I cursed and ran off before he could finish.

Why didn't he ever listen to me? Didn't he know by now not to run off without me?

Stupid little brothers. They never had any common sense. I just hoped he was still alive.

After a few minute's sprint, I finally reached the sounds of fighting. It must have been one of the oddest sights I'd seen: people yelling at each other without any fists flying, instead bolts of light blasting from sticks held in their hands. But that didn't matter, didn't matter because I saw Al, and he was fine, he was unhurt, he was alive. He was fighting, own stick in hand and brow furrowed furiously, but he was alive.

I didn't have time to marvel at it. I shouldn't have wasted the time. But I did. And so when I saw a red bolt coming straight at me, I didn't dodge, I didn't move, I didn't do anything, except stare at it stupidly when it approached.

A few moments later, there was a thump, and the sound of a body hitting the floor.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Someone was calling my name.

"Ed!" I heard it, through muted walls. Then a curse. And fuzzily, a piece of wood in my face.

"Renneverate!"

Suddenly, everything cleared. I could see, in fuzzy precision that was a million times better than nothing, the worried contours of Alphonse's face. His face? Why was he –

"Al?" No, that didn't make sense. Al wasn't – he wasn't – "You're human?"

"Ed? Are you okay?"

Now it all came rushing back. His deeper voice. Blue, blue eyes. Not Al, but... Alphonse.

"M' fine," I croaked. My throat was oddly dry.

Then I felt the full force of a human hand slapped across my face at top speed. It took a moment to register. Had Alphonse just –

"You idiot!" he yelled, and I realized that yes, he had. "Why didn't you stay with the other Ravenclaws?"

"Al, I –" I tried to tell him I was sorry, but he wouldn't listen.

"You're lucky it was only Ginny's curse that hit you," he said fervently. "Anything worse and you'd be dead – or worse! Ed, you don't know anything right now! And I – I can't lose you again." He was now sobbing into my shirt. "You said that – that you have to go, but I – I don't want you to! Brother, I –"

"Al..." I felt so helpless again. Always so helpless.

"No. Don't say anything." He wiped away his tears. "Stay here. I'll be back soon." And he ran off to rejoin the fighting. I stared after him for a moment before getting on my own two, mismatched feet.

Damn it, Alphonse, if you think I'd let you fight alone, you don't know me at all. I know I'm not really your brother, but you're still Alphonse, and I'll always protect you.

I charged into the fray.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

...

How did this happen?

Time and time again, it always ends up this way.

Me dying. Alphonse crying my name.

I didn't know enough, that was why. I had always just been an ignorant human, always thinking that I knew so much. So arrogant. And this is the price I must pay.

I hadn't known to dodge the bright flash of light. I hadn't known what it meant. Now I was bleeding out on the floor, blood bursting out of mybody.

Like that bathroom floor...

I saw Alphonse's face, wet with blood and water.

"Sorry, Alphonse," I whispered, even as blood pooled around me. "I killed your brother."

I didn't see his shock, the insurmountable confusion that was on his face. I was already at the realm of the Gate, milky yellow all around me.

The Gate was waiting.