Agony.

It's the only word that can describe it. I know I've felt pain before; broke my leg when I was twelve. It had felt as if someone had taken a hot poker and impaled my limb with it, burning through my flesh and muscle with agonizingly slow precision. I passed out from that pain, my young body unable and unwilling to comprehend it. I had witnessed the light leave my mother's eyes when I was only six, the year my father was killed. I watched her withdraw from me until she no longer recognized her own son for a time, her eyes only a blank wall of grief and inner turmoil. In a way, I lost both parents that year. That had felt like a terrible illness, a constant pain and pressure in my chest and behind my eyes so strong, I could hardly breathe on most days. And sometimes I didn't try. If I hadn't been trying to be strong for my baby sister, the damage of rejection and loss would have been immeasurable.

This is not like those times.

Red blocks my vision in blinding, suffocating pulses. My body feels as though it is alternately squeezed and released in quick palpitations, as if I am trapped in some kind of heartbeat of a malignant beast. But no, the pain is deeper than that. There is no physical penetration, no blood drawn, but the agony is internal, spiritual, as if my very being, what makes me who I am, is being attacked. At first, there is only the intense pressure, driving any air I might have had left from my abused lungs until I feel as though I will crumble beneath it. But then it changes, the pressure becoming outright pummeling, each strike becoming more and more sharp until every press inward seems to drive spikes of sharpened steel into my core. The pulses quicken, the spikes drive deeper, until there is an almost physical crack from within me, a barrier being destroyed.

Then the pain becomes all too real.

Like a flash fire I am suddenly consumed by a terrible burning throughout my entire body, as if thrown over an open pit of flame. The fire licks at me, scalding my skin and bones, paralyzing me as every muscle in my body seizes at once. I would scream, and I try, but the restriction around my neck prevents even an agonized whimper from escaping. I feel trapped in the most brutal way, not even able to scream my agony into the sky to relieve even some of what I'm feeling in a primal cry. But there is screaming, though it's not from me.

A husky, deep howling, like an injured predator, almost hits me physically from my side, distracting me momentarily from my own body. I recognize the voice and it pulls at me, almost physically, compelling me to become aware through the fire.

Ed...ward…!

It is then that I become aware that the fire isn't only pain, but a deep seated and terrible anger that burns just as brightly, just as powerful. Images begin flashing behind my clenched lids, of black, malignant stares, and empty, apathetic souls that torture, torment and kill innocents without remorse. I see the eyes of the dead woman, so beautiful in death, her gaze seeming to pierce through me with accusation and her face forever locked in a visage of agony, ironically the only person I shouldn't feel guilty about. I see the empty eyes of the man in the cage, his soul trapped or gone, and the deep scars of red around his neck, like a macabre collar. And I see the flash of fear across my friend's face, usually so strong and sure, as the hand closes around him without any time for a reaction other than a startled cry.

There is an especially strong pulse, and then the pain in my body begins to withdraw from my extremities, seeming to curl into my core. But I force myself past it, using my anger as a shield against any further torment.

The withdrawing pain peaks within me, centers in a bright anguish around my spine and neck, but I strain my eyes open through it, and focus past the blinding pulses of red. A thick, bulging arm holds me in place, and my gaze crawls past it to the despicable, loathsome man it is attached to. Through the bright red, his black visage gleams maniacally with an almost inhuman glee, Viktor's–no, that creature's–face almost eaten up by a sharp, greedy grin.

In that moment, I feel such a strong surge of revulsion at the thought that momentarily I would be this thing's possession, to be killed at a whim after my use was done. That I would become like those howling creatures in the cage, blind and soulless and insane.

And so would Edward.

...No. NO WE WILL NOT! I shut my eyes and bare my teeth in a silent scream as I feel the fever peak, and with every ounce of my battered soul that is left, I create a weapon of my own and force it out.

The world shifts.

A door opens.

And suddenly I am thrown into silence.

For a moment I don't react, body tense, teeth and eyes clenched, anger burning. But then a slithering voice seems to crawl into my ear, causing me to shiver.

"Well, well, what is this?"

It isn't a voice, not really even a sound. It is as if the words are floating through my mind in the voices of many, or maybe none. Impossible to describe. I open my eyes slowly, suddenly aware that I am now standing under my own power once more, only to shut them immediately when I am blinded by a white light so intense, it blocks out all else. I blink once, twice, and when the white doesn't clear, I realize that white is all there is.

"Another one come to play?"

The voice intrudes again, and I force my head to lift, to look around. I am in a completely empty space, devoid of any life, color. But no, not completely empty. As I turn slowly, I become aware of an immense form, towering above me only a few yards away. I squint, trying to see precisely what it is, but it shimmers as if not entirely corporeal.

"A….door?" I whisper, and even my own voice seems to be absorbed by the air, not even an echo reaching back to me.

And indeed, it is some kind of door. A massive stone gate towers over me, it's surface inscribed with archaic and incomprehensible runes that I have never seen the likeness of. There are no handles, only a slim seam that indicates that this massive, incorporeal door to seemingly nowhere could be opened at all. Or, at least, it could be, if it wasn't covered in thick, rusted chains that hold it shut with padlocks the size of my torso.

I shake my head slowly, brow furrowed. "What the hell…" I clench my eyes shut, then open them. Nope, still there.

The voice comes from behind me once more, and I turn my back on the strange illusion to take in the newest hallucination, the suspension of disbelief the only thing keeping me from breaking out into insane giggles.

A man stands only a few paces away from me. Well, I say man, but he(?) is more the size of a child. The figure is shrouded in complete darkness, the antithesis to the light surrounding it, and the only feature I can make out of this strange creature is a startlingly white grin that seems to eat half its face. I am tempted to take a step back from the strange apparition, but something seems to hold me in place, a numbness that seems to mute me just as our surroundings were muted.

For a second, nothing happens, but then the smile seems to slide slowly off of the creature's face until the white is completely gone, leaving a sort of intimidating blankness in its place. Suddenly, I can feel a wave of anger from the being like a physical force.

"What is this? What is this? You are no alchemist!"

His displeasure is palpable, and I can't help but feel a brief flash of irritation through the numbness. What the hell! Does this world only revolve around freaking alchemists or something?

"Sorry to disappoint," I growl at the creature, crossing my arms. I really am getting sick of all the surprise when it turns out I'm not some god-like being that can manipulate matter at my will. Is that damn ability all that makes anyone worth notice or something? I really, really want to go home now, where there are normal people and normal problems and– a stab of pain in my neck thrusts the numbness away and causes me to gasp. I clutch at my throat, bewildered, but I have to yank my hand back as it is pierced by sharp edges, drawing blood. I stare at it numbly, then with dread, bring it carefully to my neck once more. Horror grips me as I carefully feel the jagged edges of an unmistakable collar around my neck, and if I could somehow see it, I knew I would see hard, crystallized protrusions of blood red.

Like a flush of adrenaline my anger is back, driving away the horror. NO! No, I have to stop this! I clench my eyes shut, willing this ridiculous hallucination to GO AWAY so I could get back to reality and fight that damn madman before it's too late.

No such luck. I am pulled back as the being in front of me begins to talk once more.

"No. No, no, no, this is a breach of contract," I glare at him as he seems to talk to himself, stubbornly not disappearing like I want him to. The being's arms were crossed petulantly over his chest as he seems to throw some kind of fit. "He promised me alchemists, and this one's not an alchemist, no, no–" He cuts himself off, mid-rant, drawing attention to me once more. Slowly, the consuming grin reappears deviously, causing my glare to falter. "Oh. Oh yes, I like that idea."

I frown in confusion. This kid is quite insane, and I would really like to leave now, thank you very much. But still there is no return to reality, much to my frustration. Instead, the creature begins walking around me slowly, as if examining my worth. I keep my eyes on it distractedly as my frustration grows. What? What does he want!? I open my mouth to ask, but I am immediately cut off.

"You are angry at the foolish general too, no?"

"I…" I blink in confusion, and then frown deeply. "Yeah, that's an understatement." A rather severe one at that.

The creature stops in front of the shimmering gate and looks up at it contemplatively. Well, I say look, but it doesn't really have any eyes, so really just turns his face–you know what, whatever. He gazes up at the gate before looking back at me. "I am angry too. He broke our contract. NO-ONE breaks a contract with ME."

I believe it, I think distractedly as this situation only continues to get ever more creepy. But I am not distracted for long. Another spike of pain causes me to wince, and my hand hovers over my increasingly tortured neck as if it could somehow rip the collar from my flesh. I glare impatiently at the creature, waiting for it to get to the point so I can LEAVE, as it seems it won't release me until it does. He tilts his head coyly.

"I have a proposition for you, boy. I will release you from the collar's control."

Surprise surges up within me, and my eyes widen with sudden hope. He can do that?

But there is a catch. There is always a catch. "In exchange," he continues, and I grimace, just knowing I am not going to like this. I am absolutely right as the grin returns menacingly. "In exchange I will take that of yourself which you most value."

"What...what does that mean," I ask, grimacing through the pain of using my constricted voice.

The grin widens. "Just what I said."

I think furiously as time passes in an indeterminable moment. That of myself...that meant he is taking something only from me, right? He isn't going to be able to harm my sister or my mother or anyone else for this choice, right? That of myself...I have no idea what he was talking about. The thing about myself that I most value? I value many things…

But he said he could release me from that foul man's control. If he did that, then maybe I would have the chance to fight back. I could take him by surprise. My face sets in grim determination as an image of Edward's fear flashes in my mind. There is no way I am going to let either of us, or anyone else, become that insane man's plaything. I will destroy him.

It's in that moment that I realize how well and truly I am past my breaking point. Never before have I wanted so badly to cause another person harm. It is so against my nature that I am almost afraid of my own thoughts, and there is a small part of me curled up in my chest trying to shield itself from these foreign feelings. But there is no time for self-doubt now.

"What do I have to do?"

The smile drops from the creature's face and he leans forward. "Disrupt his circle and give that contract breaker to me."

Reality seems to encroach, and suddenly I am falling. Red begins intruding in my vision, and the pain returns in a debilitating wave. I scream. Just before I am pulled away completely, my gaze locks on the shimmering gate in front of us. Even as my vision is fading, it seems to become more corporeal with every passing second, and as my sight goes completely red, I hear the sound of clanging chains shattering and falling in a racket of clattering metal.

The world shifts violently, and reality settles solidly on my shoulders once more, as if gravity is suddenly three times what it is normally. Oppressive.

There is pain, unbelievable pain, around my neck and pounding through my head, and I realize that the being must have been holding it back somehow. But even more than that is the screaming in my lungs, as my airways are still restricted by the cruel hand of the general who holds me off the ground. As the last of the light fades, I am finally, finally, released, and I fall to my knees in a heap, slumped forward, my golden and matted hair concealing my eyes from view. I wheeze, and blessed air enters my lungs for the first time in what feels like an eternity. My body wants to convulse and cough, but only by force of will am I able to remain silent. A similar wheeze to my right draws my attention, but I dare not look over at Edward, fearing that I would give myself away.

I'm free of his control. I'm aware. And I only have one shot at this. I only spare a brief thought about what that being had taken from me–I mean, besides the collar and injuries I feel completely normal–but then push it aside. Whatever it is, I can deal with it later. Honestly, I'm quite willing to believe that that whole experience was just an insane hallucination, and that I'm only free because of a mistake on the general's part. Well, willing to believe, but don't really. It had been too real...

By margins, I become aware of an uproarious laugh from above me, and the general's voice intrudes on my ears like a poison, rekindling the fury I had only momentarily been distracted from. "Too easy," he boasts to cruel laughter from the strange mixture of men surrounding us. Discretely, I flick my concealed eyes around, trying to see the situation through my hair. Edward had taken out a fair few thugs, but there is still six or seven just in my vision. I resist the urge to frown. How on earth am I going to break this circle? I fix my gaze on Edward through the corner of my eye, and internally cringe. He is slumped over in the same position as myself, but unlike me, his hair is bound behind his neck and I have full view of the vicious collar digging into his skin, identical to those I had seen before. Ugly red veins mar his fair features, and I couldn't see his eyes through his bangs, but his jaw was slack with defeat. A stab of guilt makes itself known to me, and I can't help but give a slight wince. He got caught because of me... I force my eyes away, suppressing it. Now is really not the time.

I look around me in despair, looking for something, anything, that I could use, or would cause a distraction so that I wouldn't be shot full of holes the second I move. A flash of movement from the forest surrounding the large clearing catches my attention once more, and I zero in on it in confusion. Was that…? This time, I don't dismiss it as imagination, and hope surges within me.

Yes, that will do nicely.

Crunching boots draw my attention back to the general as he begins to walk around us languidly. "They thought they were heroes," he spits the word out as if it tastes particularly nasty on his tongue. "Little boys thought they could stop me…No one can stop me...I will tear this country apart…"

Good, I think, keep talking. Keep distracting your hired thugs. Any second now...come on…..I glare into the treeline, willing something to happen.

And then, like a hurricane blowing through an unsuspecting glade, something does.

The general comes to a crunching halt behind us, and to my alarm, he grabs me by the hair and yanks my head back. I withhold a whimper of pain, keeping my face carefully blank, but it's no picnic to not react to the stinging of my hair being yanked from my follicles. I should get some kind of reward for this. Edward does not fare as well as me, letting out a pained grunt. The insane man crouches down between us and I can smell his acrid breath as he let out a deep chuckle, and it takes everything I have not to crinkle my nose in disgust. "Two new dogs to add to my collection. I certainly hope you pass my test. It would be a shame to lose such a prize as 'Hero to the People', huh, huh, huh."

His gaze turns to me and he pauses. Carefully, I control my features, trying to project the same feeling of emptiness I had seen from the other captives, though my heart races and I'm breaking out in a cold sweat. Look away, look away, please look away….

Something must show though, because he narrows his black eyes and leans closer. Heart pounding, I'm just about to lose my cool when a loud explosion of sound snaps his head around to the forest in front of us. Heavy metal clanking reaches my ear first, and then a large form bursts from the trees in an abundance of gunmetal grey and I am absolutely shocked to see–in a flash of insane unreality–the same man in the suit of armor that I thought had been stalking Edward at the very beginning of this whole mess.

"GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!" A young sounding voice filters out of the metal like an echoing screech as the man pounds closer with loud clanks.

For a few seconds, the general, thugs, and myself stare at the running man in identical expressions of shock–but then all hell breaks loose.

A shout of "OPEN FIRE" comes from the forest behind the armored man, and a split second later Edward and I are released as the general Viktor stands with a curse, drawing his own gun as fast as lightning.

I grab Edward's still comatose arm and slam both our bodies to the ground as ear shattering cracks of gunfire begin to rain down around us. I shout in fear, eyes clenched tightly shut, as one of my worst nightmares begins to unfold.

The sounds of screaming men and guns going off block out all else, sending such adrenaline through me that it's almost difficult to even open my eyes. Somehow I manage, and, through the shroud of kicked up dust, find myself staring straight into Edward's. My gut clenches painfully as I see them for the first time. His face is slack, as if he has not even an inkling of what is going on around him. His golden irises are almostly completely consumed by his pupils, blank and unresponsive. "Edward!" I shout at him desperately after a moment of shock. What was there to be shocked about? I had known this would happen. "Eddie, come on," I say in vain, but I can do nothing to rouse him. With a curse I look around desperately.

Our captives have scattered, some going down in a hail of bullets, killed instantly, and others returning fire, even as they knew there would be no cover. I could see the opposition now, a line of at least twenty bluecoats just behind the tree cover. Edward's friends had come for him. The suit of armor is currently being held back by a rain of machine gun fire, but his advance is unstoppable in our direction, much to the fury of the still standing general above us. I wonder at how he is still standing, but then I realize that the soldiers are avoiding shooting in our direction, probably in case they accidentally hit Edward.

"Break the circle!" An insistent voice slams into my head like a migraine and I groan, grimacing at the sudden wave of dizziness. Right. Break the circle. The general is distracted, the men are falling like flies. Now is my chance. I glance at Edward one last time and give his arm a squeeze–a promise that I would come back for him–and then release it, looking around swiftly through cringing eyes and earth shattering fear. I spot a line of scorched earth several yards away and immediately begin crawling towards it, scrabbling for something, anything, I can use to disrupt the pattern. I would need something heavy, because not even the pounding of footsteps seemed to do the scorched lines any harm. I reach the line empty handed a moment later, and groan in dismay. Not only are the lines burnt into the ground, but they have created an indention several inches deep. I run a hand over the burn, finding it hard as rock.

Oh God, I can't do this, I can't do this–I dig my fingers into the earth as hard as I can, but bloodied nails are my only reward. Amidst the gunfire and the frantic shouts of dying men my eyes burn with useless, angry tears. I cringe badly as a gunshot ricochets off of the compacted earth right next to my hand. What's the point of releasing me if I'm still powerless…?!

"Of all the useless…!" The voice whispers through my head once again, accompanied by an annoyed sigh. And then, like a flash of neon light through the darkness, an image appears before my shut eyes, a circle I had never seen before. I flinch and my eyes snap open, but not before I have an image of Edward clapping his hands together in a burst of white light. I shake my head, dizzy and confused, and look down at my own hands. No….it couldn't be.

Suddenly the world falls into deafening silence.

I reel, almost uncomprehending as the gunfire stops, and slowly, as though afraid of what I'll find, I slowly turn back the way I had come.

My heart plummets through the earth. There are only three men left standing in the middle of the circle. One is the man in armor. He stands still, hand reached out desperately in front of him, glowing red eyes fixed, frozen, on the scene a few paces away. The other is Edward, standing on his own, somehow, but his features are still completely blank, staring into that of his–friend? Brother?–without seeing him. And finally, the insane man who orchestrated this entire bloody mess, Viktor, standing just behind Edward with a rifle pressed to his back. Across the field of the remains of the man's thugs, the bluecoats stand just as frozen, grim sets to every jaw and guns pointed impotently forward, and one black haired man with glasses holding a hand up to halt them. And then there is me, lying on the ground, alone and ignored, unable to do a damn thing as this insane drama plays out.

General Viktor opens his mouth, and a deep, dark chuckle breaks the tension like a knife. His chuckle turns into an uproarious laugh as he bares his teeth at the impotent men before him. "You people are all the same! Can you not see? You are all worthless! What is the death of one more?" His laughs consume him, echoing off the canyon menacingly as all everyone can do is grind their teeth in anger. "This is why you are weak. This is why you must be destroyed!" He fixes his insane eyes onto the back of Edward's head. "Kill them, Fullmetal Alchemist! Kill them all with your own hands!"

My eyes widen in alarm as Edward, completely unresponsive at this point, slowly lifts his hands as if to bring them together in prayer.

"Brother," the suit of armor whispers in that impossibly young voice of his as Edward's blank gaze fixes on him, and the general's grin widens into demented glee as the alchemist begins to follow his orders, rifle still pointed unerringly at the base of Edward's spine.

No one was moving. They weren't going to do anything, couldn't, as Edward's hands inched closer and closer together.

Pressure begins building within me as I watched the scene, the image from before pulsing insistently in my mind, shattering my concentration. And then suddenly, I know what I have to do.

"NO!" I shout, bringing every set of eyes, including Edward's, to myself.

"What–" the general begins in shock, wiping the smile from his features as if slapped in the face.

With all of my strength, I slam my hands together, and to my utter surprise, energy seems to surge from me in a painful crackle of lightning, burning out of my core and through my hands, doubtless leaving scorch marks in its wake. There is shouting around me, but I only glare at the general with all of the absolute hatred I have at my disposal, and give him a triumphant grin. As if in slow motion, understanding seems to dawn on his face, and he bares his teeth at me in sudden fury, swinging his gun around to point at me. But he is too late.

With the transmutation circle burning behind my eyes, I slam my hands against the earth over the evil engraved lines that have caused so much grief, so much pain, and watch with utter satisfaction as a large portion of the line beneath my fingers is obliterated in a mass crumbling of the earth.

The next few moments would be the longest, and probably most traumatizing, of my life.

Several things happen in quick succession.

One: after watching the ground shatter beneath me, I lock eyes with Edward, and like a surge of absolute pleasure, I can feel the collar around my neck shatter and fall into dust, just as I watch the same happen to my friend. He gasps, and his golden eyes widen even as his pupils return to normal, focussed once more.

Two: the general finishes bringing his rifle around with a strangled cry of fury and fear, and he pulls the trigger with an earth shattering boom. I jerk back, feeling as though someone has shoved me in the shoulder, hard. Edward screams my name, and for a second I am distracted by how good it is to see him aware again, before I tear my eyes from him and look down at the splash of red over my chest uncomprehendingly.

Three: I hear an evil, cackling laugh inside my head–that same strange voice of one and many–and then the circle, which I swear I've just destroyed, activates one more time.

It's different than the last time though. This time, instead of a blood red light, there is purple and gold swirling together in a sick and dizzying dance. A black substance begins to seep from the lines, only to disperse in the air above. I look around frantically, trying to spot Edward through the mayhem, suddenly very afraid for him. The demon I met earlier said he would only take the general, but I'm not about to trust his word at face value. I spot Ed a split second later. He looks like he is about to run towards me, his pupils only a pinprick of black now, but the suit of armor grabs him by the coat and jerks him back, bodily lifting him and sprinting desperately towards the edge of the circle where the blue clad soldiers wait. I can hear him screaming, but I sigh in relief as he is taken from my sight. Sorry Eddie, I would follow, but I can't...move...

A terrified shout draws my tired gaze back to the general, who hasn't moved from his spot. He's spinning, looking frantically around at the sky and shouting in his own language. I can't tell what he says, but it sounds like he is pleading with something. Long, spindly black...somethings crawl from the ground towards him, seeming to consume every corpse in their wake, the bodies disintegrating into nothingness, and Viktor begins firing his rifle haphazardly. But the small hands, I could see now, were not deterred. He's shouting desperately, but there is no answer. Suddenly, the power seems to surge around us, and something opens beneath his feet. My breath hitches as I recognize a huge...eye beneath him, and the spindly arms seem to surge and wrap around him like all consuming ropes, shrouding him in darkness. His eyes lock onto mine at the very last second, and I can't resist a small satisfied smile, even as I am gripped by the horror of what I am witnessing. He is gone a split second later with an agonized scream, his body disintegrated and sucked into the eye beneath him.

Suddenly, he is gone, and I am the only one left in the circle. I'm not sure what I expect–the energy to disperse, or something–but it is not what happens next. The arms, having consumed all in their path, begin to creep towards the only living thing left in their reach. Me. A thrill of fear pulses through my paralyzed limbs as the great eye turns in my direction. I can only make a strangled moan as the creep ever closer, too weak at this point to even move.

But something stops them in their tracks, and I gape as they withdraw slightly, like shadows cringing away from the light. Before I can breathe a sigh of relief, however, a figure begins to materialize before me, and I recognize the form of the creature I had met in the white world. "Well, that didn't go quite the way I expected," he says in his strange voice.

A wet laugh of disbelief gurgles from my over abused throat at that insane understatement, though I feel no real amusement. The demon tilts its head to the side, examining me. "You look close to death...still, a contract is a contract. Time to pay your price."

I look at the beast incredulously. Haven't I paid enough?

Apparently not. A wide grin appears from nothing as the creature crouches before me. Almost gently, he grabs my right arm, and I blink in sudden comprehending horror. "This…" he says, and a sharp, tearing tug forces and startled, anguished scream from my throat. Through my cries, he finishes his statement with a smug flourish. "...is mine."

The energy disperses in a violent wind, the only proof that it was ever there at all the lingering laughter echoing in my mind, and my own fading cries. I fall silent, numb. I'm staring into the sky, grey as it had been for days, completely untouched by the drama below. It is so silent, so quiet after all of the noise and fear that had been the last few hours, that for a moment in my numbness, I allowed myself to believe that it is over, that I'm okay, and that Eddie and I could go home.

But with the fading of the adrenaline comes the pain. It starts like the spreading of wildfire from my shoulder, and deep shudders wrack my body as it spreads to my arm, and I don't look down, can't look down, for fear of what I would see. Wet stickiness covers me, I can feel it through my meagre clothes, and I try to concentrate on something else, anything else, than the pain. I was never meant for this, literally can't handle or comprehend this. I was meant to stay at home, protect my sister, and help my ma' around the house. I was meant to follow my father's footsteps and become a working man. I was meant for a normal life, not...this. Not suicide rescue missions and pacts with devils and magic and world ending pain. Never this...

The pain builds, is becoming unbearable, and then I can hear the pounding of footsteps coming towards me, someone screaming my name. Gold consumes my vision, the only color against the grey sky, and the shouting becomes insistent.

"–an! HAN!"

"Eddie…" I whisper, trying to get the sight of his eyes to focus. They are wide and afraid, brimmed with unshed tears, as if he has just watched his worst nightmare come to life. And maybe he has. Maybe all of this has happened to him before.

"You idiot!" He shrugs off his jacket and begins fumbling with it, trying to turn it into some kind of compress. Shouts and the color blue dance at my peripherals, but I ignore them, trying to force words past my numbed limbs.

"Eddie...hurts…"

"I know, I know, shut up, damnit! Don't talk…! ...be fine…" His voice, tinged with desperation, fades out.

My vision swims, and I feel myself falling. The last thing I think before the darkness claims me is that the demon took my drawing hand. Bastard.

o-0-o

Somewhere, in all consuming whiteness, a cackle filters through the air without an echo. A large gate shuts with an inaudible boom, and it locks with a sharp click before fading from sight.

o-0-o

I know, I know, I'm taking some severe liberties with Truth and the Gate, but before I get a flood of pms trying to correct me, I just want to say, I don't care. I know the canon, and I am manipulating it shamelessly for my own pleasure. Not that I think you guys will care, really, but there's always this one person up in arms...

Anyway, I am completely incapable of writing a light story. Look at this monster! Sheesh! That being said, I really, really enjoyed writing it, and I hoped you guys enjoyed it as well. That was the last chapter, I think, only the epilogue left. You guys will really like it though, if you like fluffy endings. Barely any angst, I promise! No really...stop shaking your head...don't walk away from meeee!

Next Chapter: Epilogue

Thanks for the support. It's been fun. See you next time!