Giselas pov

March was almost here. There was a week to go until it would be upon us. Our hair was white instead of silver and some of it was falling out. Carsten was always out drawing all the time. He's trying to draw as much as possible before he's fully paralyzed. One evening I found him out near the lake again. I rolled over to him and sneaked up behind him. He nearly had a heart attack when I said boo. "Since when are you a scaredy cat?" I teased. "I was too focused drawing to hear you." He mumbled. I looked out at the lake. The sun was setting and it gave the surroundings a faint yellow glow. "Didn't you already draw the lake? Why are you drawing it again?" I questioned. He sighed. "I'm not drawing the lake." He explained. That got me curious and I kept trying to look at the page. He would hold it to his chest to prevent me from seeing it. "Oh come on now you got me curious! Please let me see!" I begged.

He sighed and handed it to me. I grabbed it and gasped. It wasn't done but I could tell what it was. It was everyone from the orphanage. They were all doing something to match their personality. "B-brother...why are you drawing them?" I asked. A fire of anger burned inside me as I remembered him telling me that they completely betrayed us. He sighed and took it back. "We're dying anyways. I might as well tell you the truth." He said, taking a deep breath. I was both puzzled and curious. I looked to him awaiting the apparent "truth".

He looked down to his pencil and fidgeted with it. "They...didn't abandon us." He said almost inaudible. I placed my hand up to my ear. "Come again? I didn't quite catch that." I told him. He sighed once again and this time louder said "They didn't abandon us." My eyes grew wide once I processed the news. "Wh-What? What do you mean they didn't abandon us? You said they handed us over!" I shouted. "I know what I said. I lied to spare your feelings." He admitted. I got a terrible feeling that something was extremely wrong. "So...what really happened?" I asked. He didn't look directly at me. He kept his eyes glued to the pencil avoiding the question. "What happened!" I demanded more than asked.

He placed the pencil down on his lap and looked me in the eyes. "...They were killed. They stood to protect us and the military opened fire. You passed out after seeing them getting murdered before your eyes. After that since it was so traumatizing your brain hid the memory to protect you. I did the same." He said. The world had stopped moving. For a moment I forgot how to breathe. "What...what are you saying? They're dead? What..." Images flashed through my mind. My head ached as I recalled some parts of it. I remembered the soldiers pulling out guns, people falling down, and of course the blood stained grass. It wasn't very clear but I was thankful that it wasn't. Just those images alone were horrifying. "No...No! It can't be true! Please don't let it be true!" I begged as tears slid down my cheeks.

"I'm sorry." Carsten apologized. When I looked up I was truly not expecting him to be crying too. After that we just let out tears that we had been holding in for far too long. We cried for our parents, our friends, and our fate. When Winry found us she was surprised to see our eyes were red and puffy. She didn't question us, knowing it was private. She just told us dinner was ready and lead us back to the house. Ed and Al looked at us worriedly but didn't say anything. All throughout dinner it seemed like all of them were trying to cheer us up. We had so much to be thankful for. I really wished that we could repay them somehow. Later Winry and Al helped us out of our wheelchairs and into our bed. I couldn't sleep for a long time. I could tell my brother was awake too. "Hey Carsten...when we die...do you think we will see everyone?" I asked. "Who knows. We might meet again. It's possible." He said. I let out a sigh. "I'm glad...that I got to know the truth. That I don't have to hate them. They did the best they could. When we see them again, lets thank them." I told him and he nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

Minutes passed and we still weren't tired. Before I could say anything Carsten spoke up. "The doctor said I'll be gone first..." He whispered. I shuddered as I remembered that. To think that he wouldn't be with me until the end hurt me. "Yeah. I know." I said. "Live." He stated. I gave him a confused look. "What?" I asked, not catching on. "When I'm gone, live. Don't waste the time you have left crying over me. I'm not worth it trust me. Do whatever you can to enjoy each minute. We won't be gone for long. Maybe there's a paradise where we can finally all be together with no worries. It's the least God or whatever controls the universe can do for us after all we've been through." He told me.

How could I enjoy what little time I would have left when hes gone? How could I not cry? "B-But..." I stuttered but he cut me off. "Do what I said. Promise me you will." I sighed. If this was what he wanted how could I go against it? "Fine. I'll live and not miss you because we are going to be together again." I said. He smiled. "Good. Now get some sleep."

March came in the blink of an eye. On the first day Ed, Al, and Winry spent even more time with us if possible. It almost seemed like they were afraid to breathe around us in fear of killing us. Carsten was completely paralyzed. He had completed his drawing right before his arm gave out for good. We had many of them up on display around the house. On March Third I couldn't use my arms either. All we could do was talk. We felt terrible that they had to feed us and take us everywhere. "Look! Isn't it adorable?" Al asked, holding up his kitten that Winry put a bow on. I smiled. "It is. She's so cute! Have you picked out a name yet?" I asked. He nodded. "I named her Gisela." He said. I gasped and stared at the kitten named after me. "You named her...after me?" I asked, feeling tears coming to my eyes.

"Of course." He said. Suddenly Ed hopped passed us and hid in the closet. We stared at the closet door wondering what was happening. "EDWARD GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE I'M NOT DONE UPGRADING YOUR LEG!" Winry shouted. Al and I burst into laughter. When Winry came down the stairs royally mad we pointed to the closet. She almost broke the door when she opened it. She grabbed him and started dragging him up the stairs. "No I don't need it! Save me Al!" Ed begged, reaching for Al. Al held up the kitten. "Gee Ed, I would, but my hands are full." Al told him. The look on Eds face was priceless. I laughed as Ed rambled about us being traitors.

After that little scene Al pushed my wheelchair over to where Carsten was listening to the radio. We sat around listening to the news of the outside world. "We sure saw our share of the world, huh? North, Xing, Central, here, we had a fulfilling life." I said, trying to make things a little more positive. "It could have been a lot better." He said. I Agreed with him. "Hey, but at least in the end, we were able to have this much fun." I said, referencing to our time in Resembool. He nodded. "At least..." He trailed off. We sat silently listening to the radio when he spoke up. "Why have they done so much for us?"He asked. I didn't know why. It was all so surreal to think that someone would go out of their way for us. "I don't know why, but you don't question miracles." I told him. He laughed slightly. "If I don't get to say so myself, tell them thanks for me." He said. I frowned. "You'll get to say that yourself silly. You could say it to them right now." I told him. He laughed. "Yeah, but I'm too much of a goofball. It's hard to get the words out." He had a point, he was a goofball. "Finally something we agree on." I teased. "Hey what are you implying?" He asked. I stuck my tongue out. "Oh nothing."

The next day Carsten was so weak he could hardly talk. There wasn't a single spot on his body that wasn't chipped now. My body was covered in cracks as well. I could tell Winry, Ed, and Al were very worried. They kept up the happy attitude so that we wouldn't loose hope. "You would like it outside. Al took me around the fields. It wasn't too hot but not cold. The magic of spring huh?" I asked. He looked at me so I knew I had his attention. He tried to tell me something, but only a faint horse sound came out. It was miserable seeing him like this but I wouldn't allow my emotions to show. I had promised him, I couldn't break the promise.

"Oh, and we saw a new horse! The Johnsons horse had a baby!" I exclaimed. I continued telling him about my day even though I knew I wouldn't get a reply. That night Ed and Al went through Carstens drawings. "These are really amazing. I can't draw anything besides arrays." Ed said. Al nodded. "I know, I've seen your drawings. I wonder if there's some way we can get them noticed." Al pondered. I watched them go through them all. Lots of them were comical moments. He drew a pic of Ed getting hit by Winrys wrench, and of course the Christmas fiasco. "You don't have to get them noticed. He would probably hate that." I told them. They looked up at me and nodded. "If you're sure." Ed said. They put the sketch book and papers back onto the desk in a neat pile.

When Ed and Al were putting us to bed Carsten finally spoke up for the first time in a long time. "Thank you." He thanked them. Their eyes widened and they looked like they wanted to cry. "No need to thank us, we were hardly helpful." Ed said. They wished us goodnight and left. Morning came in the blink of an eye. In the position I slept in I had a clear view of the window. The sun was already coming up. "Hey Carsten, wake up it's morning." I said. He continued sleeping and I sighed. If only I could move my arms then I would shake him awake. All I could do was wait for Winry or Al to come get us.

A few minutes later Winry came in. "Rise and shine! Als making pancakes and Eds actually helping so they're probably going to taste like charcoal. Sounds fun right?" She asked. I laughed. "Yeah, loads of fun." I said sarcastically. She helped me into my wheelchair and walked over to Carsten. She shook him slightly. "Wake up lazy pants." She teased. Growing frustrated she shook him again. "H-Hey, wake up you're scaring me." Winry said. I gasped and stared in horror when I realized that there was no trace of life left in him. Winry checked his pulse and gasped. "E-EDWARD!" She screamed desperately. Soon both Ed and Al were up in the room, the food completely forgotten. They checked everywhere for a pulse, heartbeat, breath, anything! Ed looked up and struggled not to cry. "He's gone."

We had him buried in the cemetery that evening. They weren't going to hold a big funeral until I was with him too. I was holding my tears in the best I could. 'Don't cry. You promised him. Live on and don't cry.' I repeated in my head. Seeing everyone else around me crying wasn't helping. Finally I broke and couldn't stay strong. "Y-You big fool brother! How am I supposed to not cry over you!?" I asked. I cried and cried. My brother, the last family member I had left, wasn't with me anymore. I remembered all the times I argued with him. All the times we spent apart and all the times we didn't get along. If I could go back I'd take it all back. Every mean thing I ever said, every argument, please just let me take it back! "I'm sorry for being such a brat! I'm sorry please forgive me!" I cried. It was an hour until we all calmed down.

The next day we spent not nearly as cheerfully as before. We hardly spoke at all. I couldn't break my brothers promise. "We can't stay like this. We have to live and do fun things like he told me to! I know it's hard trust me it's killing me but I want to fulfill his wish!" I said. They nodded and we got a ticket for central. The next six days we spent in Central eating junk food and visiting expensive entertainment areas. I felt my body grow weaker and weaker. It was so hard to speak because the serum was killing my throat. We got back to Resembool after a week full of fun. The sun was setting and we went up to a hill.

They carried a conversation with me and I so desperately wanted to reply. Carsten must have been tortured not being able to talk to me. "The suns setting beautifully." Winry said. My vision kept getting blurry. It wouldn't be long now. Ed was talking but I could only make out a few pieces of his sentence. I couldn't stop the tears. They were so nice, too nice. I wish we could of spent more time with them. All of us, including Carsten. No, this is enough. It's more than plenty. After a life of hell they granted us the happiness we desired. We would all meet again someday, I knew it. Carsten and everyone from the orphanage is waiting for me. I'm going to be there any moment now. Mustering all of my strength I said what I was dying to say. "I love all of you." They said something in reply but I couldn't hear it. All I could hear was an annoying ring.

This was perfect. I got to really enjoy my final months. The gratitude I had ran endless. They really were incredible people. Carsten and I lived as normal kids with them even in this condition. It was the best time of our lives. I didn't want it to end, but I couldn't be so selfish as to keep it going. My time was up. I thought back on everything. I remembered my parents and the funeral. I remembered joining the orphanage and meeting everyone including Dayna who I looked up to. I remembered the experiments and bloodshed and when we ran to Resembool. I remembered Xing, the north when Carsten got us in trouble, the wedding, all of it. They say your life flashes before your eyes when you're about to die. I bet the same thing happened to Carsten. Because I was able to look back I was able to truly appreciate every little thing. These last months were all I ever wanted. Thank you.

Eds pov

A year has passed since Gisela and Carsten died. It was so hard for us but the impact they left on our lives kept us moving forward. Everyone that knew them came to their funeral. Looking back, the entire thing was pretty insane. A supposedly haunted house, the military, and two innocent kids caught in the middle. They are happy now, I'm positive. Al went back to school and Winry is still bothering me about my automail. We sure have had a crazy life. Almost all of it sounds like it came from a fiction novel. Gisela and Carsten just wanted to be with each other, and now they are for eternity. I wonder if my mom will meet them up there. That's an interesting thing to think about. Maybe after this our lives can finally be normal. Yeah right, its been anything but normal. I wouldn't change what I've experienced for the world, no matter how bad it can be. The question is, is this the end or the beginning? There's still endless possibilities to what's next. Whatever it is we will take it head on. Just don't ask me to explain it, even I can't put it together.