HALL OF FAME REACTON TO…I DON'T QUITE KNOW, BUT IT'S FLIPPING FUNNY:

"BLAGNAGDELAFRAPMNEEF!"

Zilo: Thanks, Spycier and Aro the Evil Demon!
Risty: Really? Well thank you, that's so sweet of you! I appreciate it!

Zilo: I'll, uh, swing in the dark and say "you're welcome, alexthegreat!" Oh, don't feel bad, ZarosKnight, he's nobody familiar. And real life catches up to us all, am I right? Working full-time and car-hunting tends to suck up a person's free time, when said person isn't passed out asleep. You'll find out the precise powers of the chainletters soon…and there's more than one kind to learn about!

Zilo: Thanks, giant void in space! I really wish I had a name to call you by, but I appreciate your kind words anyway! And feel free to guess! Sometimes my reviewer's guesses have helped me with new plot twists and filling in plot holes, so they're always welcome!

Zilo: No problem, thunder-light! GLAD YOU LIKE YOUR T-SHIRT! (cheerfully hugs back)
Risty: (blushes) Oh, thank you, but really, I've just had good teachers… (shyly hugs back)
Ed: (stiffly endures hug)
Zoe: Yeah, I guess it is a pretty good disguise. Fooled me, at least. How sexy IS this guy, Zilo?
Zilo: Hmmm…time will tell…but he's off the market actually…
Zoe: …Not why I was asking…

Zilo: Aw, CloudEnvyKunoichi! Your forgettingness is cute! Time will tell if Risty ever gets the use of her arm back. And yeah, it was when Sakura attacked her and Envy. Sakura shot her in the arm. OH YAY! Thanks for noticing that, because that helped me figure out who was 500th!

Zilo: (laughs semi-evilly) Indeed he is, ErynGoddessOfChaos! More info to come! Ailia Sparrowhawk, you wouldn't happen to be a troper, would you…?

Zilo: (makes evil dirty-old-man face) So you noticed, Takemori…
Ed: WHY did you make it sound so…so…
Zilo: Suggestive? (continues making face)
Ed: (bright red) YES!
Zilo: Just to help your guesses along, EdwardsWife77 IS an OC, not an FMA character or anything. His ties to the story will be revealed soon, though…

Zilo: You did indeed guess right, Asj Johnson. And HEY I SAW THAT PICTURE! I think Ed gets too engrossed in whatever he's concentrating on to notice he's being noticed sometimes. (grins)
Risty: Maybe getting better at lying is part of growing up…?
Ed: Everyone's gotta start somewhere. And I'm NOT going Teacher's route with Risty. Yeah it made me a great fighter, but it scarred me and Al for life!
Risty: Maybe I could start writing it all down as I remember it…
Zilo: Oh, I'd written two, so I figured I'd update with both. And there's still some pieces missing in Sakura's story. Hopefully when it's all revealed it'll fully answer your questions. And honestly, I'm on the fence as to whether or not Risty gets her arm mobility back. The story might surprise us all…
Ed: I never liked her—him, whatever—anyway. Him being a him changes nothing, except I can punch him in the face when I finally meet him.
Zilo: Exactly! That's why I love cliffhangers!

Zilo: Don't worry, Yibbs, it'll become clear soon! That'd be correct, Im-Right-Behind-You.
Risty: Imagine how I felt seeing it…
Zilo: Yep, psychos always have a tragic backstory, isn't that how it goes?
Ed/Risty: (blush)
Ezekiel: I didn't say all that…
Zilo: The perrrrfect disguise, obviously! (wink)

Zilo: Thanks, katsekala! Here's to more excitement!

Zoe: Quite cool, Koinu-chan.
Zilo: I did indeed! Just because I could!
Ed: What's lolcat?
Zilo: I'll tell you when you're older. OH PHEW K-C THOUGHT YOU MEANT IT FOR A SEC. Glad you enjoyed the cliffie, though. Hope your room's spic and span! (hand over towel to wipe off foam)

Zilo: Yay! Look at all the nice stuff Namikazelil said!
Risty: Oh, you're making me blush! (blushes) Really, it's just because I have good teachers…
Zilo: I just can't help bashing people in the face with plot twists!
Ezekiel: I meant no offense, just the truth.
Zoe: As if, Ezekiel!
Ed: Exactly! You can be a perfectly competent fighter minus the use of an arm! We'll prove it!
Al: Well, I hope so at least, but something tells me it won't be that easy.
Ed: (turns red) W-Well…it's true…dammit.
Risty: (also turns red) W-We don't mean to be awkward…
Zilo: Insane! Exactly! But there's more to it than that! And EW77 just used a chainletter. A different type from the one you're all used to, though. Oh, and…it's something like that. EW77's motives for sending Sakura after Risty aren't particularly clear yet, but he seems to not want her dead, unlike Sakura…

Zilo: Oh it isn't much, cwizumi! Just stand there and say random stuff and I'll bellow "I JUST GOT INSPIRED!" or something!
Astrid: I live!
Zilo: The calm before the storm, so to speak. And the showdown between Zoe and Astrid and Sakura has yet to be fully revealed! OOH, ME TOO! I love some good brother-bonding time!
Ed: Now if only you loved it enough to give us a normal life…
Zilo: Well that's no fun to write about.
Risty: She did! She did do it on purpose! And it was (blushes brightly) very embarrassing!
Ed: She can handle it. I know she can.
Risty: (looks both flattered and embarrassed. She and Ed glance at each, blush, and look away quickly)
Zilo: They're so cute because they're so freaking awkward! (grins)
Risty: I wish the children would just leave me alone…
Ezekiel: It seems my words were very misunderstood.
Zoe: Because you sounded like a douche.
Ezekiel: …
Risty: W-Well, as long as Ed keeps training in me, and—and believing in me, I'll always try my best…
Zilo: I think you're right about Al. The question is, will that actually be enough? Or will the Gate babies have more tricks up their sleeves?
Zoe: Yeah, what was with the EW77 curveball?
Zilo: You'll see!

Zilo: No worried, Devonlizz! Welcome back! And I actually did that on purpose (makes evil face)
Ed: And you're gonna pay for it, too!
Zilo: I think Ed's more worried about Risty than he likes to admit.
Ed: (turns red) That's none of your business!
Zilo: Yay! Well thanks kindly, and see you next time!

Zilo: Welcome, ShimmerMist! That's actually a cute nickname! I might start using that…
Zoe: You and me both.

Zilo: Congrats to thunder-light for hitting the 500th review! Now without further ado, the 25th chapter! We've made it halfway through law school at this age!

Zoe: What…?

25: Back To Abnormal

Ed's foot lashed out, lightning-fast. Risty yanked her head to the side, barely missing being kicked in the face. Ed's foot passed by so close that the resulting wind knocked her bangs back. She twisted around sharply and retaliated with a punch. Ed ducked beneath it. A trained eye could see him hesitate for a fraction of a second as he overrode instinct and used his flesh-and-blood elbow, instead of the steel one, to hit Risty solidly in her middle. She instinctively bent double from the impact as Ed straightened, but avoided his foot again by entering into a sudden somersault. She ran right into Ed's legs, knocking him down, and managed to roll clear of his feet before springing up, off-balance a little but on her feet nonetheless.

Ed, of course, had recovered, and was already pushing himself back upright with one arm. Risty bunched the muscles in her legs and sprung at him. Her head ran right into his, and she knocked them both over again.

"OW!" they both yelled in unison, their free hands going for their now ringing heads.

Al tried not to laugh, but he couldn't suppress a single snort.

"Shut it, Al!" Ed yelled from the ground, still clutching his head.

"I didn't mean to headbutt you, I was just trying to tackle you," Risty said, one eye closed against the pain as she managed to sit back on her heels.

"It's okay. Actually, if you can use a harder part of your head next time like the forehead, it would make a pretty good offensive move," Ed told her, rubbing his forehead as he sat up.

"See, Ezekiel? Ed obviously knows what he's doing," Ravi said from where she and her husband watched the sparring match with Al and Noa.

Ezekiel just grunted, his arms crossed. Fortunately Ravi knew him well enough to interpret that as a reluctant agreement. "He's still being reckless," Ezekiel said anyway. "Training with such wild abandon could give that girl permanent brain damage." He indicated where Risty was still tilting her head back and forth as she touched her temples, testing how bad her new headache was.

"Somehow I think she'd consider the risk worth it," Ravi mused.

Al and Noa joined Ed and Risty as the latter two got to their feet. "The ending aside, that was still amazing, Risty," Al said.

"But I didn't hit Ed at all this time," Risty pointed out.

"That's not the point. You're getting better at reading my moves. That can save your life in a fight," Ed said.

"Really? Really?" Risty exclaimed, obviously excited. Noa, meanwhile, reached for Risty's braid, which was starting to come undone.

Ed nodded.

"I have an idea," Al said.

"Yeah?"

"And before you go off the deep end, just let me explain it, okay?"

"Yeah," Ed said, more suspiciously this time.

"How about, since it looks like your head's still bothering you, you sit out this round and let me fight Risty?"

"Really?" Risty said, the same time Ed said, "Hell no!"

"You promised to let me explain," Al said.

Ed opened his mouth to argue, paused, then blew a huge sigh. "Fine. Why?"

"It would help Risty to develop the skill of reading more than one style of fighting. She's not always going to be facing you, Brother. It would be helpful if she learned to pick up general cues across the board."

"That makes sense, Ed," Risty jumped in.

Ed looked from her to Al and back, frowning. "It does," he finally said, sounding less resigned than Al had expected.

"Great! And Al, promise not to go easy on me," Risty said with a grin.

"Of course. I wouldn't insult you like that," Al said, smiling back.

What's THAT supposed to mean? Ed thought, his brow twitching.

"Maybe we should all take a break first," Noa said, halfway through re-braiding Risty's hair.

"No, no, I'm in the groove now! Just this round against Al and then I'll rest," Risty said, absently testing her sling to make sure it was secure.

"Just take it easy," Ed told her.

Within a few moments, Ed had retreated to the spectators' area with Noa, while Al took up Ed's place on the left of the field. "Ready, Risty?" he asked.

Risty, about ten feet from him, nodded. "Ready!"

"Remember, I promised not to take it easy on you."

"I know. I won't cry or not speak to you later."

Al grinned and laughed through his nose. About three seconds later, Al had covered half the distance between them, his right arm swinging out. Risty, who hadn't even settled into her fighting stance, had about two more seconds to react. She yanked herself to the right, and Al's punch swung over her shoulder. Quickly, Risty used her good hand to shove his arm upwards, keeping him from attacking a second time with the same arm, and giving her a chance to recover.

Without missing a beat, Al's other hand shot out and grabbed her arm. His leg swept her feet from under her, and he smoothly lifted and hurled her over his head.

"Al!" Ed exclaimed in protest, leaping to his feet. He took a half step towards the sparring area. Ezekiel's hand landed on his shoulder. When Ed's head whipped around to glare at him, all Ezekiel said was, "Watch," and pointed.

While in mid-air, Risty protectively curled herself around her bad arm and used the good one to cover her head. She landed on her feet, but because of her position, ended up rolling into a somersault. On the last roll, her legs flew out, and she rolled over and jumped to her feet and rushed at Al.

"She's fine," Ezekiel finished. Ed tracked her movement with his eyes, as if watching for any indication otherwise.

Al ran to meet her, and when they were close enough, spun around, his leg stretching out in a roundhouse kick at waist level. Risty defended with her good arm, like she did whenever Ed attacked with a kick, and Al's legs drove her to the side. She kept one foot planted, though, spraying up bits of grass.

"It looks like she's doing okay," Noa said.

Al pulled back only briefly and attacked again. Risty dodged, but this time she wasn't fast enough, and Al's fist hit her shoulder. She lost her balance and landed on the ground, letting out a grunt of pain. On the sidelines, Ed's fists clenched.

"You see how almost every move can be used against you?" Al asked her, extending a hand.

"No kidding. Ouch." Risty accepted his hand, and when he didn't try to throw her or something, let him help her up.

Ed stalked onto the field, before anyone could stop him this time. "What was that? You threw her, dammit!"

"No, Ed, it was okay," Risty started.

"She's fine, Brother, see?" Al added.

Ed rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "She's only been training for a month, Al. What if she hadn't tucked and rolled? What if she'd landed on her arm? You can't just do things like that!"

"But she did protect herself. She used the move you taught her, Brother. I think you're still being overprotective," Al said.

"Because I'm not flinging her over my head?"

"Yes," Al said, in all seriousness.

"He's right," said Ezekiel, who had come over with Ravi and Noa without the others noticing. Ed whipped around. "Any opponent won't pace themselves. They won't tailor their fighting to the level she's on. If you're serious about this training, then you need to mean it. Your brother seems to understand that better," Ezekiel went on.

"Nobody asked you! Why don't you just leave? I don't want your opinions!" Ed snapped.

"You're being childish," Ezekiel stated.

"Fine! I'll leave!" Ed turned and stormed away.

Al sighed. "Ezekiel, you're always so blunt," Ravi said.

"The truth shouldn't be softened for the sake of someone's feelings," Ezekiel stated.

Risty shoved his shoulder, and only the unexpectedness of it enabled her to move him at all, pushing his shoulder back at little. Ezekiel blinked at her in surprise. "Why are you always saying things like that? It's like you're trying on purpose to make Ed mad!" Risty yelled at him, obviously angry herself.

"Like I just said—"

"That's not truth! That's a lot of insults! You're not Ed's teacher! Miss Izumi might have beat the daylights out of him, but she still treated him better than you! You're always starting trouble with Ed! You don't have to fake nice, but you don't have to be so mean either!" And with that, Risty took off after Ed.

"Oh, my, it looks like you've finally upset her enough," Ravi said to her husband.

"They both need to grow up," Ezekiel said.

"Maybe so, but that's why they work together. They help each other grow up," Al commented.

"Indeed, they do," Ravi agreed, smiling thoughtfully.

"Ed?"

Ed turned around from where he was sitting, on the bank of the river that ran outside the city and next to the field. Looking up, he saw Risty standing at the top, looking down at him uncertainly. "Are you, um, okay?"

"Me? I guess. What about you? Al didn't hurt you too bad, did he?"

"Oh, no, no! It was fine. Al's really good. And I remembered to do that rolling thing you taught me to protect my arm," Risty said.

"Yeah, you did. That was good."

Risty smiled, and started to pick her way down to meet him. Ed got up and met her about halfway, where he took her hand and helped her back down to where he had been.

"So…do you think Al's a better teacher?" Ed asked once they sat down.

"Huh?" Risty looked at him, confused.

Sighing, Ed flicked a blade of grass between his feet. "It seems like Al's challenging you more, I mean," he said.

"Wait, you mean—no, Ed! I like you being my teacher. You're a good teacher. Ezekiel's just a jerk," Risty insisted.

"Don't say stuff just to be nice to me. If Al would do a better job than me, you can just say so. He always beat me, anyway," Ed said with a shrug.

Risty looked down at her lap, where her bad arm rested in its sling. "Well…could you both be my teachers? Then I could learn more in less time, right?"

"I don't want you keeping me around because you don't want to hurt my feelings," Ed told her.

"That's not why!" Risty snapped, looking up at him. "I like you as my teacher! Can't I think that without it being about pity?"

Ed started in surprise.

"I just…you know…" Risty looked down at the river, blushing. "I…like you being there."

"Oh." Ed found the river suddenly very interesting as well.

"I mean, no matter what Ezekiel says, you're a good teacher, so, um…"

"Yeah. Thanks," Ed said.

Risty peeked at him and saw he was smiling, which made her smile automatically. Then there was a faint splash, and his smile changed to a look of horror. Risty twisted around to see what he was looking at, and only saw some ripples fading at a point in the river.

Ed jumped up. "Someone fell in!"

"W-What?" Risty exclaimed.

Without missing a beat, Ed yanked off his waistcoat and shoes and dived into the river. It was surprisingly deep. Ed surfaced and started swimming towards where the ripples had been. Risty got up and ran alongside on the bank, watching him worriedly. Would his automail be okay? Was the person all right?

When Ed reached the spot, he dived under the water. Risty pulled her shoes off, rolled her pants up as best she could with one arm, and waded in as far as she could. The water was cold. She felt a steep drop-off under her feet, and stopped, her pants rolled an inch or two above the surface.

For a few heart-stopping moments, nothing happened. Then Ed broke the surface, and Risty could see that he held a girl to his side. She stretched out her hand. "This way!" she yelled.

Ed saw her and, reaching out, grabbed her outstretched hand. With her pulling and him pushing against the muddy floor, they managed to tow themselves and the girl out of the water. Ed landed hard on his back, sucking in great breaths of air, his clothes, hair, and automail leaking water. Risty had gotten the bottoms of her pants wet, but she didn't even notice as she got on her knees and leaned over the girl who had fallen in the water. Her mind was split between checking on Ed and the girl, but Ed at least seemed to be alive and breathing.

"Is she okay?" Ed said when he'd gotten enough air, sitting up.

"I-I don't know." Risty put her ear on the girl's chest and listened. Oh good, a heartbeat. "She's alive," she reported, lifting her head. "Ed, what about your automail?"

Ed grimaced, lifting his right arm. Water ran from it in streams. "It's probably waterlogged," he said. "Dammit."

Together, they looked down at the girl. She seemed to be drawing breath, but her eyes were closed. "Do you think she's a Roma?" Risty asked.

"She's not really dressed like one," Ed said.

"Yeah. Her clothes are…are…" Risty's eyes widened.

"What?" Ed asked, looking up at her.

Risty seemed stunned. "She looks like…she's dressed like she's from my time," she squeaked.

There was a moment's silence. "Are you serious?" Ed exclaimed.

Risty nodded.

Ed looked back down at the girl, now thoughtful. "You know…it did look like she sort of appeared out of nowhere and landed in the water," he said.

"So—do you think she's a time-traveler? But is she on Sakura's side?" Risty asked, worried.

Ed shook his head. "I think she's related to you."

"W-What?" Risty exclaimed again.

"Look at her. She kind of looks like you. And it would make sense, since you don't recognize her at all."

Risty looked down. It was possible. She couldn't pinpoint one thing, but the girl did seem to resemble her in some way. "Then, do you think this is Astrid?" she asked, hope lightening her face. "Do you think she got my letter, and now she's alive?"

"It could be," Ed agreed.

Risty looked back down at the girl, excited. Was this really her cousin? Alive and well, and saved from Sakura? "Well—we should get her back home and into something dry. And you too, Ed, you look cold."

"Okay. No, here, I'll carry her, I'm already wet."

Astrid, as Ed and Risty were guessing the unconscious girl was, didn't wake up once on the way back. Ezekiel and Ravi weren't informed of who she really was, since they didn't know the whole story in the first place. All they were told was that she had been fished from the river, which was entirely true.

By the time they made it back to the apartment, Ed's automail was starting to act weird again. It had stopped dripping water, but it was becoming stiff and not responding as well. Ravi and Ezekiel left soon after, being assured that the situation was under control.

Al waited until the couple had left before rounding on Ed. "All right, what's really going on?" he wanted to know.

Ed looked up briefly from where he was testing his automail fingers, but it was Risty who spoke from where she hovered near the hall. Noa had taken the unconscious girl back into her and Risty's room to change her wet clothes. "Well, me and Ed think she might be Astrid," Risty said.

Al looked startled. "Really? So, you mean your plan with the letter worked?"

"If it's really her, then it looks like it," Ed said as he pulled his shoes off and grimaced at his still-wet toes.

"Well that explains why you didn't tell Ravi and Ezekiel everything," Al mused.

"So if it is Astrid, then she'd be here to take me back to…home, right?" Risty said, mentioning the very thing weighing on all their minds now.

Ed sighed. "Yeah, probably. She picked a hell of a bad time to show up, though."

"What do you mean?" Risty asked.

"Sakura, remember? Whatever time you're in, Sakura can still get there. And I'm not letting you out of my sight until she's taken care of," Ed said firmly.

Risty felt her face flush at that, even as she mentally scolded herself that this wasn't the time to become fangirly. "But we can't expect her to just wait around until everything's resolved," Al pointed out.

"Yeah, well…" Ed shrugged.

They remained in silence for a few moments, thinking things through. For Risty, her initial excitement at seeing what could be her cousin, alive and well, had now turned into anxiety. Would Astrid insist on taking her back to a place that would be largely unfamiliar, and with Sakura still out there? Until now, she hadn't really thought through that Astrid and Zoe's successfully reaching her would mean being separated from Ed. And Al and Noa. And everyone else she'd met here.

"Okay, I'm gonna go change clothes," Ed said, breaking the silence. "We can all talk about this some more afterwards."

Risty nodded absently. Ed picked up his shoes and headed for the hall. When he passed by Risty, he paused and put his hand on her shoulder, which caused her to turn from her thoughts and look up at him. "Don't worry, we'll figure this out," he told her.

She and Al watched him leave, then turned to each other, as the last two people in the room. "Nervous?" Al asked with a grim smile.

"Yeah," Risty said, smiling a little herself. "I guess the good times couldn't last forever?"

"I guess not," Al agreed.

With another glance down the hall at her and Noa's room, Risty moved and sat down on the couch with Al. "Al, um…there's sort of something I wanted to ask you, but we've never really been by ourselves before."

"Oh. Sure," Al said, turning to face her more and showing he was listening.

"I've been having some weird dreams lately, and I'm starting to think that they're actually memories. What's weird is that, well I think I dream almost every night, but I can never remember what it's about. But with these I can."

"Go on," Al prompted, wondering why she was bringing this up with him instead of Ed. Ed had always seemed like her confidant for more personal issues.

"Well there's one, where I'm like four and lost at a fair or something, but that one's not the one. There's this other one, where I'm at this other fair, and I'm, like…" She shivered.

Al watched her, concerned.

"Well, it seems awfully like I'm killing people," Risty said, absently cradling her bad arm in her lap.

"What?" Al exclaimed, surprised.

"I know, it sounds crazy. It always ends with this angry girl with black hair and glasses yelling at me, but I can't ever tell what she's saying. But I'm getting distracted, sorry. The reason I wanted to talk to you is because of this third dream."

Al had no idea what could top the second, but he listened anyway.

"I'm in the Gate. The children are there, of course, and we just…um, you know, punished somebody."

Swallowing, Al nodded for her to go on. Risty looked hesitant, but continued, looking down at her lap. "I don't know why, but I've been, like, more sane and in control lately, and realizing that I'm being an abomination and doing horrible things to people. I'm very upset, and the children are trying to make me feel better and going about it all the wrong way…" she trailed off. Lifted her eyes. Looked at Al.

"What?" Al asked, feeling another of those unexplainable sensations of dread. "Then what?"

"I want to get out. I'm in control enough to know I need to get out of here. Of course the children don't want me to leave. No Equivalent Exchange, they're saying. You can't just leave, they're saying. And then…and then you show up, Al."

The color drained out of Al's face.

"You show up, and I can't really tell what you're saying, but you're making some kind of deal. The children go for it, and they're acting like they're being all reluctant, but I can still hear them thinking that this is perfect. And then…I…get separated from them, and it hurts, and I start screaming and crying because suddenly I'm just terrified. Like, I know I need out, but losing the connection almost drives me nuts. But you keep telling me to move and then you're gone and then—"

Risty's face looked desperate and scared. Al's face mirrored her fear, but ten times over. She finally snapped out of her storytelling and noticed his expression. "Al…that…really happened, didn't it? You really got me out."

"So it wasn't a dream, for either of us," Al managed.

"Oh my God, Al," Risty said, her eyes filling with tears. "You never even told me. They're inside you too."

Al abruptly broke the stare and looked away, trying to hide at least some of the terror in his face. "That was the deal," he said hollowly.

"But how? Why? How did you even get in there?"

"I don't know. I'd thought I was just dreaming. When it happened, I felt like I'd only spaced out for a second. I was still standing and conscious and upright in the living room. And then…" Al's shoulders sank more as realization set in. "Right after that was when Brother collapsed and fell down the stairs. I didn't even connect the dots because I didn't remember until the next night."

"Can they…take you over too?" Risty asked, barely able to raise her voice above a whisper.

"Not yet. They've tried, but I could always hold them back from actually possessing me. Sometimes I've lost track of time, but…"

"Why, though, Al? Why such a horrible deal? I mean, not being callous or something, but you couldn't offer up a limb?"

"They said…it was their only terms. They said they hadn't had enough time to work on me. I knew it was dangerous, but I also knew I couldn't leave you there. You're…my friend." Al's voice broke at the last.

Risty put her good arm over her eyes to catch the tears that were starting to fall. "It's true," she said, her voice clogged with tears. "Anything I try to change makes things worse and worse."

"No, don't think that," Al said, turning back to her, even though he felt like crying himself. "I made that choice, not you."

"If I hadn't been there then you wouldn't have had a choice to make!" Risty said, at a suddenly much louder volume.

Al opened his mouth to protest again, but something held him back. No. Why bother? She wouldn't believe anything else anyway. And maybe she's right a little. If she'd never been there…

Yes. Let her shoulder the blame. Her heart needs to be heavier.

No! What am I thinking! This isn't me, it's you, all of you! You're all wrong, it's not Risty's fault!

Oh no? they said. Then that would place the blame on you, surely?

No, it's no one's fault!

We disagree.

They were at it again. Any time a crack opened in his defenses, there they were, trying to worm their way in. But he wouldn't give in to them. He was stronger than them.

Alphonse Elric, you had a deal with us, remember? You were just talking about it. Certainly you don't plan to turn your back on that deal?

He wouldn't say no, but he couldn't say yes. He was stuck without an answer.

The choice is simple. Give us you or give us her. Whichever one you prefer. We just need a vessel. Who will it be?

The choice was at the same time incredibly easy and incredibly difficult. Of course he couldn't, WOULDN'T sacrifice Risty just to save himself. But if he surrendered, that meant the Gate could wreak the havoc they planned using him. Again, he was stuck without an answer.

Make the choice, or we make it for you. And we are not patient.

Abruptly they withdrew, leaving the two minds free and clear, for the moment at least. Al snapped himself back to the present, and his heart thudded. His eyes raised and met Risty's, and she looked just as stunned and afraid. She had her hand on the knob of Ed and Al's bedroom door, like she had been about to turn it. And Al had a kitchen knife in his.

Instantly, Risty backed away from the door, yanking her hand off the knob like she'd been burned. "But—but—we were only arguing…" she gasped.

Al turned and headed for the kitchen, focusing entirely on his task. Numbly, Risty followed him and watched as he stuck the knife in a drawer and slammed it closed. "They were distracting us," he said sharply, sounding eerily similar to his brother in a bad mood. "There's enough of them to do just that while the rest does whatever they want with our bodies."

"Then—does that mean—is it hopeless?" Risty asked, voice cracking.

"I don't…no. No, it's not hopeless. We'll find a way to beat them," Al said, forcing himself to sound firm. We have to, he mentally added.

"Guys?" Ed's voice floated from the hall, making both of them jump. Al turned quickly to Risty, and she met his eyes, and they could see that they were both thinking the same thing: neither of them wanted to tell Ed.

Ed entered the room. He'd changed clothes and redone his ponytail, and now a worried and suspicious look was on his face. "What's going on?"

"Um…" Risty looked away, fidgeting. Even Al couldn't meet his brothers eyes, and glanced to the side.

Ed crossed his arms. "Before you go thinking up some stories to tell me, I felt it. I don't really know what it was, but I felt it from you—" he pointed at Risty, who flinched "—and through you I felt Al." Al looked guilty at that. "So whatever happened, don't think you can hide it from me. Just tell me," Ed said firmly.

"Well…" Al hesitated.

Another door slammed open. "She's awake," Noa's voice floated down the hall, right on cue.

Risty and Al looked relieved. Ed shot them both a "we'll discuss this later" look.

She opened her eyes, feeling a terrible throbbing behind them. Her head felt like someone had bashed it in with a sledgehammer. She remembered abusing the chain letter pretty ridiculously, to avoid Sakura, jumping around like a teleporter. That and that stun gun must have both contributed to this horrible headache.

She was in an unfamiliar room, lying on one of the two beds. At the side of the bed, a young woman sat in a chair, watching her. The woman's hair was styled a little differently—the two braids were just loose ponytails—and she had on different clothes, but after a few moments, she realized that this was Noa.

Noa…then…I made it?

"Noa?" she croaked.

Noa started, looked briefly frustrated about something, but nodded. "Yes. Just a moment." Noa stood and went to the door behind them, throwing it open with more force than necessary. "She's awake," she called into whatever room or rooms lay beyond.

The headache was starting to lesson, which was good. She wanted her complete set of wits for this. She sat up, testing her head, and then finally realized that she was not in her clothes. Instead, she was in an unfamiliar white shirt and dark red skirt, both of which were obviously too big for her. Instinctively she reached back and realized that her hair was free of its usual high ponytail, and also a bit damp.

"…say who she was?" A familiar voice snapped her out of her mental checklisting. She looked up quickly, feeling her heart beat faster with excitement. It was him! She'd made it after all! If only Zoe could have been here to share her triumph.

"No, she didn't, but she recognized me," Noa was saying as she stepped back into the room. Following her was the one and only Edward Elric. His eyes landed on her, and he had a contemplative frown on his face.

Figuring it was only fair that she take charge, she tested her head once more to make sure the ache was fading, then put her legs over the side of the bed and stood. The skirt was so long that its hem hit the floor and then some, ruining what she had planned to be a very serious and momentous meeting, but there wasn't anything she could do about it now. "Edward Elric?" she said in the professional way she'd practiced.

He nodded, like she'd expected.

"Astrid McHale." 17-year-old Astrid stuck out her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Ed shook her hand. "Likewise, I guess," he said, obviously confused by her weirdly formal approach.

"Thank you very much for all your help in taking care of my cousin," Astrid said, launching into her prepared speech. She'd had to tweak it some, considering the new developments Zoe had explained, but it still sounded pretty good to her ears. "I understand she's suffering some amnesia. That's very unfortunate, but I can assure you that we have the best doctors available in our time. Once I take her home, we'll see to it that she gets the best medical care possible. And of course we all miss her very much."

"Yeah…" Ed said, his gaze flickering down to where Astrid still shook his hand.

Am I doing this wrong? Astrid's voice started to go a little higher as her nervousness set in. Ed didn't seem to be reacting the way she'd planned. "I know you'll all probably be worried about her, but she's going to be just fine as soon as I get her home and—"

"And what about Sakura?" Ed cut in.

Astrid paused. She'd rehearsed for this sort of question, but nothing she'd come up with had sounded great. She'd have to do her best. "Obviously Sakura's a problem, but we're prepared to handle her. We've got plenty of capable law enforcement in the future, not to mention a very generous organization that's specially equipped to deal with this sort of situation—"

"Do you even know what you're talking about?" Ed interrupted again.

Astrid stopped. Why wasn't he reacting with awe and confidence in her abilities, like she'd thought he would? She finally noticed she was still shaking his hand and yanked hers back, nervously smoothing the skirt she wore. "Well, of course I do, what do you mean?" she asked.

"Because you sound like you're talking out of your ass," Ed said bluntly.

"Brother!" Alphonse Elric had entered the room while Astrid wasn't paying attention, and now he scolded Ed. "That's no way to talk to her!"

"I'm just saying," Ed said with a shrug.

This was not going as planned at all, and Astrid was starting to get frustrated. All her frustration flew out the window when another head poked itself into the room. Astrid's brown eyes widened as she saw her cousin for the first time in what felt like decades. Zoe had explained that Risty was 18 now, and so was much different, but Astrid hadn't been prepared for the taller, skinnier, bustier, more mature-looking version of her cousin who was now inching into the room, staring at Astrid with open but hesitant interest.

"R-Risty?" Astrid gasped. Almost instantly, her eyes filled with tears. Ed and Al exchanged a glance. Astrid and Risty had very similar crying faces.

But Astrid wasn't finished yet. "Holy snarks, look at you, you're…you're all grown up! You look so pretty, Risty…can I…can I hug you? I know I'm like a total stranger to you right now, but would it be okay…?"

Risty looked uncomfortable, a lot like Ed did whenever anyone tried to show him physical affection. "No, I mean yes, of course you can," she said, trying to hide the awkwardness in her voice. She sort of stuck out her good arm. Astrid pulled her borrowed skirt out of her feet's way and, going over, pulled her cousin into a hug.

Ed could definitely see the family resemblance, now that Astrid's face was animated. Not only that, but Astrid had now taken the prize of shortest person in the house—the top of her head stopped right at Risty's chin, which meant she only came up to Ed's shoulder. Astrid's face was directly in Risty's chest, where it remained for a second or two before it reappeared. "Oh, wow, sorry about just whacking my face into your—well, uh, I'm just not used to all that being there."

Risty flushed, embarrassed. "I'm, um…sorry?"

"No, no, it's okay! It's just going to take a little while to get used to the new you," Astrid said, grinning even as tears coursed down her face. She pulled Risty back into the hug. Risty shot Ed a desperate, please-save-me look.

"Hey…could you lay off a bit? You're freaking her out," Ed jumped in, starting to prefer the formal, We've-Got-Business-With-Each-Other Astrid.

Astrid straightened up and dropped her arms. "Oh jeez! I'm so sorry, Risty, I didn't mean to unnerve you. I just got kind of mushy…"

"It's—okay," Risty said, self-consciously rubbing the back of her neck.

"I guess I should stop doing that. I don't want you to be uncomfortable. But I should warn you, your mom's probably going to hug the snarks out of you. You know, being your mom and all."

Risty's face looked panicked. Al and Ed exchanged another glance.

"But enough talking, right? We really shouldn't waste time, right? Well, I guess you wouldn't know, but we're supposed to be in a hurry. Zoe told me that you were eighteen now, which kind of adds to the whole rushing thing—oh and by the way, she chewed me out for about twelve years about just making her vanish, so apologies, but I thought something had happened to her so I used the emergency letter, which, phew—but anyway, I know I showed up abruptly, no time to prepare."

Ed was now quite certain he liked the formal Astrid better. This one talked way too much.

"But, long story short, did you want me to help you pack? Anyone you wanna pop in on and say bye to?"

Everyone—except Astrid, of course—was startled by this. "What do you mean? Pack now?" Risty asked, alarmed.

"Well, of course. We have to leave now. According to our shiny new calculations, your birthday will actually be your 19th—instead of your 16th like we were thinking, sorry I missed the sweet 16—and that's in two weeks, remember?"

She hadn't remembered. "S-So?" Risty stammered.

"So after you turn 19, my chainletter won't work on you. So we need to go as soon as possible. Which would be now."

Zilo: I'm sorry, guys! It's hard not to do cliffhangers!

Ed: A-par-ently!

Zilo: Well, hey, it'll be resolved next time, so see you then?

Zoe: Not much of a choice...