A/N: Kind of a futuristic chapter, I suppose. It wandered completely off subject, I realize, but I still kind of liked it. So enjoy.

Disclaimer: I'm still asleep okay? But I still don't own.

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Ten Years Ago

For years after it happened, he would find himself waking up in the dead of the night, screaming from the vivid nightmare full of terrible memories.

Every night, he would gently touch the sheets beside him, hoping that it had been only a dream. Every night, his fingertips would only touch empty sheets, confirming that the nightmares had been true, that she was gone and never coming back.

And so, every night, he would get up and head out into the brisk, cool night, half hoping to find her out there, waiting for him and laughing at his foolishness for believing a mere dream.

Needless to say, this never happened.

He found it cruel and unfair that she would die in the final battle, the battle that had resulted in the death of all the Homunculi, forever freeing him of Greed. The battle that had also resulted in his dream becoming a reality, and him being able to go home the new emperor of Xing.

He would also return alone, without her by his side for the first time in years.

He had heard stories about Amestris, about how the new Fuhrer, Roy Mustang, was slowly working to make it become a democracy state instead of a military state. The new Fuhrer had also lost his protector in that final battle, and as much as Ling knew he was hurting, he'd been unable to comfort the man.

Once the Philosophers Stone had been uncovered, it had been split three ways.

One piece of the stone was given to the Elric Brothers, and the younger of the two had recovered his former body and was later married to a Xinese Princess by the name of Mei Chan. The older boy had not been able to recover his body, but he had ended up happy anyways. After resigning from the military, he was married to his childhood friend and automail mechanic. Ling had gotten a letter saying they were now expecting their first child, a daughter.

Another piece of the Stone had been given to the then-Colonel, Roy Mustang, provided he promised not to try a human transmutation. After sadly agreeing to this promise, he used his bit of the Stone to heal his friend Jean Havoc of the wounds he had acquired in a battle with the Homunculus Lust. That hadn't used up all of his Stone, and he wore the remaining bit as a necklace. To remind him, he'd said.

The last piece of the Philosophers Stone had been given to Ling, after he also promised not to resort to human transmutation. Since Ling wasn't an alchemist to begin with, the promise was easily made, and he used the stone to become emperor.

That was ten years ago, and they were all still healing. Sometimes, he wondered if he'd ever get a good nights sleep again, without her there.

Maybe another ten years would do the trick.

And so, they lived on, hurting and healing the best they could, but never forgetting what they had lost those ten years ago.


A/N: Woo! You are becoming hypnotized. You must press the green button. Do it!