Title : Whispers of a Nightmare

Genre : Anime/Manga

Category : Full Metal Alchemist

Disclaimer : Nope, this one belongs to someone else as well.

Summary : Takes place after the incident with Nina. Something's wrong with Ed, and Al just can't quite figure out what it is. Serious situations and angst ensue.

Warnings : Angst, mild language, violence, and other issues that shall go unnamed for now. I don't want to give away too much of the plot just yet, now do I? ;)

Rating : T

Chapter 14 : Reverie of Abandonment

The grey sky that flashed with purple streaks every so often did nothing to lighten the eleven year old's mood. Even if Edward did chide him sometimes on his often bleak outlook, the direction they were heading in was a road he was reluctantly taking, and once again, wished they weren't.

The situations he was contemplating were not pleasant. Just the thought of his older brother laying back in that two-bit shack of a train station made him feel bad enough, probably cold and surely hungry, but Ed was in no condition to be out there in the mess of a storm, especially with that leg wound.

He was actually shocked that with all the cuts and wounds Edward had received throughout their years that the twelve year old just wasn't one big scar. Hell, he had to have them all over him as many times as he got himself into trouble. And that was before their pleasant beginning with the military. In the small amount of time the State alchemist had served under Lieutenant Colonel Mustang, Ed had managed to get himself into many a situation, bringing less than happy thoughts to mind.

Alphonse shook his metal helmet, not understanding how one person could attract so much chaos and mayhem to their life. But then again, this was Edward he was thinking about, so technically, anything was possible with him.

Thunder rumbled in the distance of his mind, thoughts of the situation at hand rising to the surface. They were lost; that had been easily established judging that Al had no idea as to how far he had walked from the train wreck. It could have been ten miles or twenty; the only thing he knew was that he'd walked for a good eight hours before Ed came to so the exact mileage was lost on him.

If only that stupid old train station was on the map, the thought crossed his mind as he waded across a small pond, actually having no idea as to what to get for Ed. His soul-filled eyes darkened slightly at the thought, the well-being of his brother currently at the top of his priority list, even if he was still severely pissed at him.

Why isn't he eating? He's never been like this before…well, not for awhile anyway. Why didn't I remember that? He quickly became encased in his thoughts, memories of the past eerily swirling about his mind.

Without even attempting, he was taken back to the days just after their mother passed, suddenly recalling all the feelings and emotions that he had been forced to go through back then. Even if they weren't the greatest ones in the world, at least he could do that; feel something.

He couldn't quite remember the feeling of being cold or hungry, both of those lost on his metal shell; but he could recollect the sadness of her being gone, and the odd sense of loneliness that ensued. And the fear that would beat in his heart every night before he fell asleep, tears aplenty in his woe-filled eyes.

It didn't last long, but for the first few weeks afterward, his brother didn't eat. Even when they'd go to the Rockbells for lunch or dinner or whatever meal it was that needed to be consumed, the boy would just stare at the full plate with a lost yet determined look in his eyes; Alphonse never understanding why. That habit continued until Aunt Pinako forced the child to eat, but even then, he still would refrain from trying.

The only thing that made him start again was Al threatening to do the same as him; that comment nearly sending his older brother into a stupor.

"No, you idiot! You gotta eat something!" the small blonde's voice struck his younger brother's ears as the other boy just stared at his plate, arms folded across his chest with a if-you-can-do-it-I-can-too look, his lips holding the faintest trace of a pout.

"I'm not hungry, Brother," Alphonse replied simply, his stomach humbly rumbling underneath the table, praying that Edward would just give in already. How long had they been going on like this? Half and hour or so…

"Whatever! Don't lie, Al!" Ed scoffed, crossing his arms across his chest as well. "'Cause I know you are! I can hear your stomach from here!" he added, an almost smug look set upon his ever-so-youthful features.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Brother. I'm just fine. I don't think I'll eat anything for the next three days," the younger boy commented, a confident expression teasing his lips, making it almost appear as though he were smiling.

"Now you're just being dumb," the ten year old stated in a matter-of-fact tone, turning his nose up at the younger boy that sat across the table from him.

"Oh really?" Alphonse questioned, lifting his gaze from the table to his older brother whose eyes had taken on a more serious quality, a hint of sadness surfacing in his haunted golden orbs. "So what you're saying is that it's okay for you to not eat, but it's 'not' okay for me. Right?" he asked with a lopsided grin on his cherubic face.

Edward had to think about this for a moment, knowing Alphonse spoke in such a way sometimes that he was getting tricked into either one, telling the truth; or two, making a complete and utter fool of himself; which of course his little brother would do to him when he felt the elder one needed some form of humility. Therefore, he chose his next words carefully, hoping that he surpassed his little brother's expectations.

"Right," he nodded in agreement, his eyebrows narrowing as the smug expression found its way to Al's face and was wiped off his own. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" the smaller blonde questioned, leaning on his elbows now with his hands flat against his cheeks.

"Because Ed," he replied, shaking his head and stifling a chuckle. "Sometimes I wonder how you're so good at alchemy, but can't understand anything I try to say," he muttered, a few teeth showing through the smile he was trying to hide.

"It's not funny!" Edward's expression turned even more serious as he pushed himself up from the table as quickly as he could, dizziness smacking him straight across the cheek. He stumbled as he stepped away from the wooden décor, having to hold onto another piece of furniture because he couldn't walk by himself. A pained look tainted his youthful features as he continued to attempt to stand, but the dizziness and aching in his head was just too much, sending him down to his knees.

The smile swiftly faded off of Al's face, his eyes falling downcast at the state his older brother was in. He felt guilt, but inwardly knew that Edward himself should have known better than to do something like that; but then again, it was always actions and words with him, followed by thoughts.

Letting out a sigh, the younger of the two rose to his feet, slowly making his way over to his downed sibling. Bending down, he reached Ed's level, his heart nearly breaking at the sight of the fresh tears that were rolling down the other's cheeks and the shaking shoulders that pursued.

"Ed, hey, it's okay. I'm sorry," the nine year old's voice came out a bit unsteady as he gently put his hand on the older boy's back, giving it a slight squeeze.

"No, it's not," Edward shot back through grit teeth, his eyebrows now narrowed to their limit. The trembling that consumed his upper body quickly made its way to the rest of him, his skin ice cold to the touch. Tear after tear graced his semi-pale cheeks, his golden eyes casting a stiff gaze towards the empty bed where their mother had rested on until the day she died, his orbs instantly darkening.

"I miss her too, Brother, but I can't starve myself just because she's not here anymore. It's not healthy, and besides, do you honestly think Mom would want you to do that?" the innocent tone met the older blonde's ears, his expression becoming even and unreadable. "She may be gone, Ed, but we still have to take care of ourselves. That's what she would have wanted."

Alphonse's words wafted through the back of the older boy's mind, his eyes moving back and forth quickly as though he were reading something important, though nothing was there but an empty bed and a chilled-over window. A horrible sounding sob emanated from the ten year old's throat, Al's eyes widening at the eerie, completely woe-filled sound, even more surprised that it was coming from Ed.

"Bro…ther?" his question came out slowly and confused, his brow narrowed in worry. "Ed?" he tried once more, seeing the impending storm that was beginning to play out on his brother's features. First came the quivering of the lips, then the slightly opened mouth that looked ready to explode at any moment, and then finally the flood of crystalline tears overflowing from the saddened golden orbs. Without so much as a second thought, Alphonse wrapped his arms around his smaller, older brother; edging the blonde's head into his chest. Ed reluctantly followed suit, another sob, though this time muffled due to Al's shirt, ensuing sadly.

"It's okay, Ed," he soothed, running his fingers through his brother's soft, golden locks, his eyes watering at the sounds Edward was making. He could almost hear his heart breaking into hundreds of tiny little pieces, not understanding why he felt so awful. "It's alright."

"No, she's gone, Al. She's gone," the ten year old repeated over and over, his voice trembling just as much as his body was, his arms still hanging limply at his sides.

"Ed, stop it," Alphonse murmured, albeit uncomfortably, pulling his brother closer to him, if that were even possible. An eerie shill rose around him at his brother's next words, inwardly knowing the second he'd heard them, his life would inevitably change.

"But we're going to bring her back," the blonde stated through a clenched jaw, the saddened sobs coming to a standstill, his voice utterly and unmistakably serious. A fire erupted in his golden orbs, seemingly casting its strangely magnificent light in his younger brother's face, though only fear followed suit in the younger boy's heart.

Something in his brother had changed that day, but it wasn't until shortly afterwards that Alphonse found out what had truly happened. Thus, the reasoning for him being trapped in the metal shell that he fit so uncomfortably into at the moment.

And quite possibly, he could have hated the older brother who had no other way of keeping his one and only sibling alive; but he didn't, Edward did what he had to do. Al didn't even want to imagine what Ed would have turned out like if he would have vanished too. The thought frightened him all the more as he advanced farther into the wooded area, tracing his steps so he could remember his way back to the abandoned train station.

Spotting a narrow but efficient looking stream, he made his way over to it, thankful to see a few small but at least edible fish, making their way down it. Moving quickly and swiftly, even for a suit of armor his size, he easily caught a few, surprised at how well his abilities had magnified. The first time he ever even tried to catch a fish went horribly wrong, and even then, he didn't get to eat it. But that was then, and this was now; as he continued to learn the longer they continued on their search.

The rain was starting to lighten up a bit as he made his way back the train station, the light trickle of rain on the changing tree leaves soothing in a way. He only dreamed of smelling that fresh, fall air; so many memories passing throughout his soul it hurt. And the longing only grew; as it did each day, more and more painful as time progressed. But he had faith, surprisingly, after all they had been through. Though secretly, his faith was in Edward, knowing that somehow, he'd be able to figure it all out.

The wind whistled through the flowing trees, the air whirling about him, though no sensation flooded throughout his system. He walked on, his metal shell clanking loudly, even though he was trying his hardest to remain quiet.

Even though Ed meant well, there was just something about this trip that didn't seem right; and that fact couldn't be overlooked the derailment of the train they were on. It just seemed to be too much of a coincidence to the eleven year old. It was dark, of course, but there was plenty of visibility; but perhaps there were variables that he hadn't had the ability to see. This thought struck him as strange, but he couldn't help the feeling that it was true. What if there had been something in the train's way? Something that made the conductor veer off course maybe? But if that were true, what could it have been? Or who?

The feeling that was slowly snaking its way through the shell of armor he bore could best be called fear, though as the trees and shrubs continued to brush against his metallic body, he had the feeling that he was being watched. He stopped suddenly, casting a glance around him, though nothing unusual or strange met his line of sight; but the notion just wouldn't go away. The eleven year old carefully caught his original pace, but the sensation that someone was right behind him wouldn't leave his thoughts.

It only took a second for the unmistakable darkness to hit him as he plummeted, falling into a depth of unknown origins, crashing helplessly down within the soft earth below. In the back of his mind, he knew he was still too far away from the station for his older brother to hear his scream.

&&&&&

He lay there, shivering and evidently cold, though his stubborn musings would not allow him to believe that fact. The twelve year old told himself that the reason his body was shivering was that it was simply going into the first stage of shock, due simply to the wound his leg had been forced to adhere to. But that small voice that one would call a conscience told him that he in fact was cold--freezing, to be exact, and that warmth was duly needed. But in his usual nonchalant way, he ignored it, continuing to lay there and quiver miserably.

Edward slowly opened his glazed over eyes, watching the fine mist that spiraled from his lips every time he exhaled. He watched it float a few inches from his face until it finally disappeared into thin air, more continuing to follow suit. He slowly reached an ungloved hand up to his trembling lips, they cold to the touch. He exhaled a little harder as he pushed himself up into a sitting position, the restlessness getting the better of him.

Images flashed through the background of his mind, making him almost thankful that his eyes refused to close. Faded pictures of his mother and Alphonse smiling and happy arose like mist off the top of a lake in his head, his mouth opening slightly at the thought.

No, he told himself, knowing this wasn't the time or place to think of such things. Besides, he was by himself, which could only make the situation worse. He knew that to be fact, recalling old childhood memories from the depths of his mind. And the fact that he was in an abandoned train station in the middle of nowhere made things seem even more dim.

His golden eyes, appearing grey thanks to the din of his surroundings, gazed around the old facility, an eerie sensation chilling his soul. Now that he was alone, it was as though the presence of the place seemed slightly alive again. He could almost hear the faint sounds of a train on the track when something else caught his attention. Out of the corner of his eye, a face appeared at the window, too suddenly for him to react in a normal way; though nothing ever was truly normal about the twelve year old.

His breath leaving him faster than he could intake more, he pushed himself to his feet, his heart racing. "Hey!" he shouted out weakly, instantly annoyed at the sound of his own voice. He couldn't ever recall sounding that pathetic. "Hey, you!" he tried once more, his volume level barely raising a notch. "Dammit!" he muttered, limping heavily over to the cobwebbed and broken window.

He peered out, a faint shadow moving through the wooded area that surrounded him. The twelve year old couldn't quite make anything out about the individual, but that didn't stop the sudden flood of curiosity that ran through his being. Knowing better but doing it anyway, he started to run, the pain electrocuting his leg a little more than he could bare. But he shoved it away as he usually did, the want to find out who had looked in upon him greater than the need to rest his leg.

He clumsily stumbled out of the station, tumbling straight down the three steps that led to the ground. He landed with a light thud in the dirt, throwing his hands out in front of him so his face wouldn't also turn the color of the ground. Gritting his teeth as he pushed himself up, he followed the sound of the moving brush, though with the wind singing in his ears, the task was becoming nearly impossible.

Tears flocked to his eyes, the rushing wind and the sprinkling of rain doing nothing to aid him. But the boy didn't have time to wipe the slight aggravation from his cheeks; too wrapped up in the person that lay not too far ahead of him. He pushed himself forward, feeling something warm run down his leg, inwardly knowing that the wound had reopened thanks to his sudden movement.

The breath that his lungs so immediately craved was lost on him, he too consumed with the stranger that taunted him from the window. The only thing on his mind was finding the person and asking them what the hell they were doing out there, and after he was done ranting and raving, possibly asking for a little help in the process. But the further he got into the woods, the darker it seemed to get.

This stuck him as a bit strange because he knew that there had been some light overhead, though it could just possibly be that the forest had grown thicker and there just wasn't enough room for any rays from the grey sky to break through. But as he continued, the air also became the same; thicker and harder to breathe, as though all the humidity from the rain was gathered there in that one spot, his chest aching in response.

His vision blurred slightly as he went in further, darkness surrounding him on all sides now; fear rising up in the back of his throat. The twelve year old could hear himself wheezing, the air almost too thick to take in; but he stumbled forward, elegantly tripping over a tree root that had made its way out of the aged earth. He landed hard on the ground, pain streaming through his right leg, a howl of agony emanated from his lips.

Edward clenched his jaw and grit his teeth, second thoughts about continuing after the stranger running through his mind. His brow narrowed as determination set back in, he refusing to give up since he'd already got so far in. The boy pushed himself up, feeling sweat trickle down his body, yet knowing how cold it was.

Due to the excess in pain, his ability to run was hampered slightly, his run turning into a deformed walk, his right leg dragging more than evidently behind him. He clasped his hand to the wound thought the blood continued to leak through his fingers, a bad feeling arising in the pit of his stomach; but the sound of curiosity was just too much, so he followed it, a break in the trees coming into view.

What sat before him was something he was not expecting to see, his heart literally stopping dead in his chest for a split second. His golden eyes, the color of the setting sun were wide yet narrowed on the two story house that lay not too far away. Vaguely, he could see the shadow stranger he had been chasing run through the house's open door, leaving him to gape momentarily.

At that very second, he knew it was a dream. A horrible delusion created by the subconscious world he was temporarily living in. And even though he had the realization that it was in fact, just a dream, his brain was forcing him to think otherwise.

He didn't want to go in there, into the house that he and Alphonse had destroyed with the help of fire the night they set out for Central. But there it was, mocking him as it stood there in plain sight, chilling him straight to the bone.

Ed could see his breath spiraling from his lips once more as he slowly and seemingly involuntarily moved towards the picture perfect place, not the one that had been reduced to ashes as his mind had suddenly erased. His footsteps were sluggish and uneven, the fact that his right leg was pretty much useless at the moment making him feel even more nauseas.

For after what seemed like hours, he reached the door of the house, it swinging back and forth slightly as though wind were moving it in its gentle breeze, though no air touched Edward's skin. It was dead still and eerily silent, his heart pounding in his ears, almost so loud, he could hardly hear himself think.

The rational part of his mind told him not to go in, to just run back to the abandoned train station and wake up; but the irrational side--the one that he usually listened to, urged him to go inside, reminding him that there was obviously something he needed to see.

Instantly regretting the decision his brain had forced him to make, he entered the house, everything looking exactly as it had when he was younger. It was surprisingly warm, and the scent of his mother's fresh baked bread invaded his nostrils, fear making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

This just wasn't fair, and he knew it. Having to see and smell and hear all those things that were ancient to him now; he hated it, yet there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it but go forward and find what was waiting for him; what he was being forced to see or recall.

The sound of crying met his ears, though it wasn't the faint woe-filled sadness that he would sometimes come from his mother--no, this was a little girl, the sound of a little girl crying…

"Nina," the name trembled from Edward's lips, his eyes immediately watering. His golden eyes drifted towards the stairs, definitely the origin of the disturbance. Reluctantly, his legs took him there, the pain in his leg almost bringing him to his knees, but one by one, he made his way up the steps, the sound of his footfalls echoing in the back of his mind.

His hands shook stiffly as he held onto the banister for support, so many thoughts and memories coming back to him that he could hardly contain them, but the thought of Nina being upstairs helpless and alone drug him away from that other reality.

The crying grew louder the further he ascended, finally making it to the last step, his heavy boot hanging in mid-air, hesitant to set foot on it. Closing his eyes, his body guiltily forced him up one last time, the sound of his shoe landing on the wooden floor resounding throughout his ears.

The door to the room that he and Alphonse shared hung drearily open at the end of the hallway, fear tickling his spine. The blonde could already feel the fresh tears stinging his cheeks though had no clue as to why they were truly there. He could feel his shoulders shaking as continued on, though after every door he passed, he could hear voices emanating from them.

His mother's and father's voices wafted thinly from their room, followed by the sound of his mother crying and his father's receding footsteps. As he passed by his and Alphonse's forgotten playroom, he could hear their childish laughs making their way innocently to his ears, forcing him to feel the guilt and frustration of losing what lay beyond that door. They'd given up that life a long time ago.

After what seemed like hours though it took only mere seconds, he made it to the last door, the only one that held an invitation for him to come in. And reluctantly, he did, his golden orbs falling on the lone figure in the room.

She was curled up into a ball in the corner, her long auburn locks swaying back and forth as she shook, her low cries filled with pain and sorrow. He immediately felt regret at this--for everything, not understanding why he was here in the first place; but none of that stopped him from going to her, reaching out a comforting but shaking hand to soothe her.

"Nina?" the twelve year old's voice came out shaky and oddly pained, tears glistening in his eyes. "Nina, everything's gonna be alright, okay?" he tried to comfort her, afraid of what was impending.

"Big Bruthor?" she asked weakly in her childlike fervor, lifting her head up from her hands. Her face looked as youthful and as innocent as ever, no trace of the horrible being she had been transformed into apparent.

"Yeah, it's me, Nina," he offered, forcing a fake smile to appear on his lips, gently placing a hand on her head. "It's okay, I promise. I won't let anything hurt you," the words poured slowly but shakily from his lips, a sob threatening to leave his throat.

"I'm scared, Big Bruthor," she stated, her lips quivering as she pushed her face into his chest, her small body trembling underneath him.

"Why? I'm here to protect you," Edward stated through grit teeth, fear of the unknown populating his soul.

"It's coming for me!" Nina blurted out, throwing her arms around him and squeezing his crimson colored jacked tight, the material bunching up in her tiny hands.

"What's coming for you, Nina?" he questioned, his tone laced with the fear that was traveling through his blood stream at the speed of light, his body shaking almost as much as hers.

"That!" she screamed, breaking out of his embrace and scrunching into the corner as tight as she could fit, evident fear plastered across her four year old features. "Stop it, Big Bruthor! Stop it!" she shouted shrilly, burying her face into her hands once again.

He saw the shadow come over him, casting its horrific likeness against the corner that Nina cowered in. It wasn't an instantaneous realization, more of an instinctual one, to be exact.

Edward turned slowly, gleaming emerald eyes filled with hate, pain, and disgust glowering back at him from half of a face melted into singed metal. A seemingly plastic grin lit up the thing, blackened teeth meeting his terrified golden orbs, a whimpering sound gently leaking from his lips.

"Hello, Edward," the creature stated through the horrible grin, slowly moving towards him in a twitchy, spider-like movement. "So nice to see you again," the woman's throaty voice made its way to his ears, one of her disfigured hands reaching out towards him.

His body froze on him, just like that; tears automatically cascading down his hollowed out cheeks without a second thought. The twelve year old trembled more than he ever had in his life, sitting there on his knees, unable to voluntarily move a muscle, numbness floating over his body. A stray sob broke free of his quivering lips, and something that almost sounded like a scream had it not been cut off by the creature's hand violently hitting him across the face.

His head slammed lazily into the wall, his golden eyes fading. He could hear a tiny voice trickle from his lips like the last sip from a cup. "I'm sorry, Nina," it whispered before everything went black.

Edward sat up quickly, unable to avoid the crying and shaking that his battered and abused body was rendering itself to. His sobs echoed off the old train station's walls, leaking through the cracks it had sustained from years of no use. His chest rose up and down quickly, the breath spiraling faster and faster from his parted and slightly chapped lips. The only thing he wanted right now was Alphonse, to just hear his reassuring voice would be enough, but as the twelve year old looked around the station, he realized he was still alone, making the sobs and tears come faster.

Almost to the point of hyperventilating, he pushed himself up, not caring about the wound on his leg anymore. He just wanted to find his little brother and get the hell out of there. He weakly staggered to the entryway and down the steps, mustering up just enough strength to pull off the wooden rail, using it for support.

Blindly(thanks to the annoying saltine substance in his eyes), he stumbled across the tracks and into the forestry, hoping that Al wasn't too far away. He needed him right now, and the thought of not finding him nearly scared him to death. Panting heavily, he forced himself through the thick brush and towering forest of trees, stopping dead in his tracks when he heard his brother's scream echo through his ears.

&&&&&

"Yes, sir. The majority of the wreckage has been removed, and all of the passengers accounted for except for two," Mustang explained, his voice traveling the distance of thirty or so miles across the phone line and directly into Fuhrer King Bradley's ears.

"Go on, Lieutenant," the Fuhrer stated, his dark brow narrowing slightly at the young man's choice of words.

"The passenger list stated that there were two persons on board by the names of Nathan and Sage Jackson, known to be the aliases of the pair of serial killers that were arrested last year of murdering more than thirty women in the small time frame of just thirty days. Their real identities were that of Shane Merlow and Jonathan Dase, and it just so happens that those two reportedly escaped from Prison #3 two nights ago," the Lieutenant Colonel continued on, extracting the exact words of his year old report from memory.

"I see. Well, Lieutenant, it sounds as though you have a pair of serial killers to apprehend. Do whatever means necessary to bring them back to Central. We wouldn't want history to repeat itself, now would we?" Bradley's voice gave hint to a faint touch of amusement, an eyebrow raising on Mustang's part.

"No, sir," the Lieutenant replied, his tone laced with a tinge of excitement though keeping his cool, thankful that the Fuhrer actually bought what he was selling.

"Though I know it shouldn't take you the better part of three days to find these gentlemen, I'm giving you and your team one week to find them. And I'd like a daily report of your findings as well, Lieutenant."

"Understood, sir. Thank you, sir," Mustang stated, letting the phone travel back to its base, still not understanding how he managed to do what he had just done. He turned away from the phone upon hearing footsteps approach him from behind, Hughes worried yet smiling face appearing before him.

"Well?" he questioned with an air of confidence, a hand going to his hip as he raised a curious eyebrow.

"He bought it," Roy announced, letting a small but noticeable smirk travel across his lips, his arms folding across his chest.

"Even the part about the mess being cleaned up?" Maes questioned, gesturing towards the debris that was still scattered about the tracks.

"Even that," Mustang replied with a nod, the smirk wasting away as he saw some of the personnel loading the dead into a military vehicle.

"So when do you leave?" Hughes inquired, pushing his sliding glasses further up on the bridge of his nose.

"You aren't coming?" the Lieutenant Colonel asked with a narrowed brow, his onyx eyes filled with unanswered questions and not enough information to compensate them.

"No, I think I'm gonna stay here for a little while longer. See if I can't figure out what really happened. I don't know why, but something's really bothering me about this whole thing, especially if Ed and Al were involved. But don't forget me while you're on your trip. You know how me and information go so nicely together," was Hughes response, a grin spreading from cheek to cheek.

Mustang nodded at this, unfolding his arms. "Tonight. We leave tonight."

Author's note : Man, this one didn't want to end on me either! Hope Ed's nightmares aren't annoying anyone. But I don't make him have them for nothing! ;)

THANK YOU all so much for your continuous support; and I just want to answer one question that I've received more than once : How long is this story going to be? I honestly don't know; but there's a good possibility that the answer to that could be thirty chapters, or if I dare to even say it, fifty-one, in correlation with the number of episodes of the anime. But at this point, it's suffice to say that it's gonna be awhile.

Okay, 'nuf of that.

THANKS go to Zion, Lyemi, Aemilia Rose, Akamori-chan, ThePatheticWriter, Roy-Fan-33, demoncastaway, Shattered Mirror01, hyperdude, Birth of Venus, Me and My God Complex, vampirelf, Legendary Chimera, Kagome92111, Harryswoman, TelevisonGod, DarkAmber112, and all of you who put me on their lists. Thank you all so much. I really, truly am thankful for your feedback.

I may have another one-shot come out soon, not entirely sure just yet.

Oh, and P.S. I tried to spell Brother the best way I could the way Nina would speak it. Until next time!