"No, that's not true! You're lying! I know my brother, and this is not him!"

Greed smirked. "I'm not? Then how would I know that ever since you were little, you have had vivid nightmares that have made you sick? Or that once when I was three you broke Mom's priceless vase, and swore me into secrecy not to tell, but in the end your guilt was too great and you told her anyway? Or that you once confided to me that your greatest fear was that I would never feel the sun on my skin again, and you would die and leave me alone in the world?"

Memories raced through his mind: Him and Al baking cookies, walking to school, fighting by each other's side. Doubt crept in. Was Greed telling the truth? Did he really not have a brother? No. He pushed the treacherous thoughts down. They're trying to trick me. This is all a trick. It's not real. He snarled. "I don't believe you! This is your last chance to tell me where my brother is before I claw your eyes out!"

Envy looked amused. "You want a fight, pipsqueak? You got one." He flicked his tail, and Greed pounced. Edward rolled out of the way, Greed's claws an inch from his throat. Edward struck, pounding Greed over the head with his claws. Greed growled as one tore through his thin ear membrane, and blood ran into his eyes. Edward went on the offensive, darting in to swipe and skipping away.

"Come on, pipsqueak, fight like a real warrior." Edward's anger flared, and he yowled as he aimed his claws at Greed's eyes. Greed smirked. In his haste, Edward had left his left side open. He raked his claws down Edward's side. Perfect. Edward thought as he knocked Greed's legs from under him. The last thing he saw was the fear in Greed's eyes as the locked his jaws around his throat.

Edward dug deeper as Greed squirmed. Metallic blood coated his tongue, making him gag. He clenched down until Greed's quiet gurgling had ceased. He let go and Greed's body dropped onto the bloody ground with a jarring thump. The sounds of the surrounding battle returned at full force, and he winced at the still-bleeding cuts down his side. I must look monstrous, he thought as he turned to Envy. Blood dripped from his maw like a wild animal, and he bared his red teeth.

He had caught Envy off-guard. He stared at Edward with pure shock. Neither of them moved.

"You...you actually did it. You killed your own brother!"

Edward glanced at Greed's body. "That is not my brother. Now, tell me where Al is." He could smell Envy's fear as he stalked closer. "Where. Is. My. Brother!" Edward's patience was wearing thin.

Envy attempted to cover his fright with a scoff. "Just because you defeated Greed you think you can take me on?" Envy's teeth glittered. "You've got another thing coming." Edward tensed as Envy prepared to leap, but something off to the side caught his attention. He gasped, and as Firestar pounced on Envy from behind and sunk his claws deep into Envy's back. Envy roared with pain and spun around like a bucking horse, but Firestar held firm. After one particular spin Firestar jumped off and faced Envy.

"This is your last chance. Leave the forest now, or you will be shown no mercy."

Envy's voice shook. "You-I killed you! This is impossible!"

Firestar shook his head. "Nothing is impossible with Starclan. Do you accept surrender?"

Envy paused, and he could see a battle waging. He smirked. "Never!"

Firestar sighed. "Then you leave me no choice." Without warning he bounded forward and sliced open Envy's throat. Envy stood still with shock, blood flowing like water from the exposed wound. He dropped like a leaf in fall, and they stood in silence as his heart stopped.

The battle ceased as the Bloodclan cats fled, no longer to fight without their leader, and soon all the Clans stood exhausted in the dawn light.

"Edward." He turned toward his mother as she limped toward him. He winced at the blood streaming down her face, and the piece of her ear hanging down. "Are you hurt?"

He glanced at his own body. "I'll live." He turned toward Firestar, who was gazing with bright green eyes. "How is this possible?"

Firestar smiled. "Starclan grants their leaders nine lives. If Envy had known, he might have attacked more viciously." He nudged Envy's cold body. "He thought to defeat a power greater than himself, and paid for it."

Firestar's words sparked something Edward had once said himself. "He flew too close to the sun." He murmured. "Firestar, this is not over. Wrath is still out there, and we need to find Alphonse. They have him hidden somewhere."

"Edward." Edward was surprised at his mother's soft tone. "Alphonse isn't real."

The statement didn't register in his mind."What are you talking about?" For a second he thought this was some cruel joke, but the pain on Trisha's face was real.

"When I died and Truth spoke to me, there was something I left out. He showed me the reality you were now in, one where you had a loving younger brother. But it was not true. You never had a brother, Ed. The homunculus put Greed in charge of protecting you until the time came for you to be sacrificed. It wasn't real."

The world spun, and Edward felt himself sink to the ground. "No." His voice was muffled and far away. Leopardstar nodded sadly.

"I wish I could have changed reality for you, back to the way it should have been." She came and nuzzled his head. "I'm so sorry."

The feelings built like a coming storm. He became aware of yowling and screeches, and realized that it was him. He felt Leopardstar curl around him protectively. A raspy tongue cleaned his wounds, and when his voice finally gave out he fell asleep to the steady rhythm of his mother's heartbeat.