A/N: Welcome to the final chapter of "Fire and Rain"! It took me a little longer than usual to write this chapter, I apologize for not posting sooner --'. Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed "Fire and Rain," since your comments have really helped me develop my story. As a side note to all Edward fans, I promise my next FMA fanfic will include him, and he WILL be alive ;)

Disclaimer: I don't have nowt related to FMA. I want an SD Ed plushie, though :D

Chapter Four: Broken Memories


--Oh, I've seen fire, and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you, brother, one more time again, now--

The clock had just struck two, but I was still awake. I felt I would never be able to sleep soundly again, and as much as I wanted to fall asleep, I couldn't. Tomorrow, Winry had told me as we walked home, would be the funeral. I'd asked her bluntly how you could give a funeral for someone who'd "lost his body." She explained that while Ed had donated his body and soul to the transmutation, his automail prosthetics were rejected. Those few "pieces" of Niisan had survived.

Knowing this made me feel worse. Now there were tangible pieces of my brother, which had survived him. I felt like crying, but somehow I couldn't do that, either. I don't know why Ed bothered to restore my body, I thought glumly. Without him around, I feel useless. I sighed loudly, wishing I had one of my pet cats with me. Back when I'd had a suit of armor as my body, I used to take in strays and let them sleep inside me. It felt a little weird, but it was nice to know that I could provide shelter to them. Plus, I've always loved cats.

I closed my eyes tightly and tried to fall asleep again. It was no use; I couldn't fall asleep when my mind was clouded with thoughts. Frustrated, I threw my sheets off of the bed and turned over yet again. I just lay on my side for a while, staring at the wall opposite my bed until my eyes ached and I had to close them. Maybe...maybe I'll be able to get a little sleep...

My eyes opened. I was standing in a small room, with books covering the walls. In the center of the room, more books were strewn over the floor. It looked familiar to me, like a place I'd seen before, a long time ago. I picked up one decrepit-looking book which had been thrown down on the floor. It contained the basic alchemical formula for creating a small toy. I smiled sadly. Ed and I used to make toys not unlike the one shown in the book for Okaasan. I thumbed through the pages, remembering the first time I had done alchemy, how Niisan had encouraged me and helped me along the way. He always wanted me to do my best and be happy...

Suddenly, I realized that the room I was in was almost exactly like the study in my house.My eyes felt moist and threw the book to the ground. I'll never be able to do alchemy ever again, I sobbed. It killed my brother...Ed died because of alchemy! I felt tear tricking down my chin, but I didn't bother to wipe them. If I was dreaming, I wished I'd never dream again.

"You can't be serious about never dreaming again."

I brushed the tears off my face on the back of my hand and looked up. "Ed?" I asked to the air. "Was...was that...you?"

"Well, yeah. Can we talk?"

I felt the corners of my mouth turn up slightly. Even beyond the grave Niisan was businesslike. "About what? Is Kaasan with you?" I added hopefully.

Ed spoke again, and there was a smile in his voice. "Yeah, she's with me. But then again, she's always been with me, and she's always been with you, too."

I grunted. "Is this another speech about how even though Mom is dead, 'her spirit lives on' in me? I'm tired of hearing that crap!"

"Al, please calm down. I know you don't believe it, but neither did I at first. I remember thinking, 'What's the use of living if the person who loved me the most isn't alive?' That was right after Okaasan died. But, you know, after a while it made sense to me. Think about it: Mom loved you and me, and she passed that love to us both." I looked to the ground, hoping Ed would shut up, but his voice continued. "Don't get angry at me for restoring your body, Al. I know others tell you I gave up my life because the Philosopher's Stone was false, and that much is true. But there's another side to the story, and that's the part only I know about."

"Which would be...?" I questioned

I could almost hear Ed smile. "Remember the Truth? The time you lost your body and I lost my arm and leg, we were both allowed a look at the true knowledge of good and evil. This time, though, as the transmutation was taking place, I could actually see a possible failure." Ed paused for a moment, and then began again. "It was as though I was looking through a window, and through it I saw what might have been if I had let the transmutation work on its own. The end result, Al, was your soul being ripped away...you would have ceased to exist had I not acted. I wanted you to live your life, even if it meant possibly sacrificing my own. I guess that's brotherly love for you," he added.

"I...I had no idea," I stuttered. I felt confusion rising in me, but then, just as suddenly, it began to ebb away. I felt calm and tranquil, as I hadn't felt for a very long time. But a new thought entered my mind. Ed had become strangely silent. "Ed...is it time for you to go?" He didn't answer. Instead, he began to slowly drift away from me. "Ed, are you there?" I yelled, panic-stricken. "Oniisan!" I cried.

Suddenly, I was in my bed again. The bedroom was dark, and I was alone again. But what was the ball of light floating inches away from my bed? My eyes grew wide. "Niisan?" I asked. The ball of light began to fade away as I said those words, but as it flickered out, it was as though Ed had spoken to me. Peace, little brother. Remember that I love you. Please live your life to the fullest. I want you to be happy...I love you...

Edward Elric. At the age of 12, he showed himself to be skilled in alchemy and became a State Alchemist, one of the military's elite. He didn't join the army for glory or power, but so that he might be able to make a difference in the lives of those important to him. Few knew the real reason behind his automail arm and leg, and even fewer knew the truth about his "armor-wearing" brother, Alphonse. While Ed told others he'd been injured in "an uprising in the Eastern area," his wounds were from a different war. His father left his family when he was young, leaving his mother Trisha to raise two boys on her own. At eleven, his mother died, leaving the brothers as orphans. They knew enough about alchemy to know that it wasn't impossible to recreate a human life, and began planning for the day when they would resurrect their mother from the dead. The transmutation was a failure. Ed's losses could be replaced with mechanical prosthetics, but Al lost his entire body, save his soul, which was bonded to a suit of armor.

Years passed, and the brothers grew older. They received fame wherever they went, but in Edward's eyes, their happiness was incomplete. Doubtless, he blamed himself for reducing his brother to a talking suit of armor; once he asked his brother if he blamed him for anything. Alphonse was just grateful to be alive, but Ed cared about his happiness. He wanted his brother to live a normal life; he'd promised this to him from the day he transmuted his soul. Ed didn't make promises lightly; especially with those he loved the most. He spent his life searching for the Philosopher's Stone, a miraculous elixir. It was revered for being able to create "something out of nothing," defying the laws of science. Legend said it could be used to transmute lead into gold, explain the meaning of life...and, Ed reasoned, restore the body of a young boy. It was elusive, doubtless, but Ed didn't care.

Then, one day not too long ago, the young alchemist's life was filled with joy. By a stroke of luck, he found a Philosopher's Stone, taken from the ruins of a house belonging to some ancient alchemist. Ed knew the formula for transmuting a human body, and set to work immediately in the hope of restoring his younger brother's body. As the transmutation occurred, though something strange began to happen. The stone began to disintegrate, right before Ed's eyes. With a new realization he saw that the stone was false. He could see the possible outcome of the transmutation if he did not act soon: his brother's soul would be lost forever. Then Ed made the ultimate sacrifice: he added his body into the equation, and lost his life in the process.

"I am Alphonse Elric," I read as I neared the end of the eulogy I held. I had written it only this morning, to be read at the burial ceremony. "I am Ed's younger brother, and this is my restored body. His death has left me, as it has left all of us here, saddened. But I've realized something now. Even if Ed's gone, his ideas, his being, his love and concern for each of us—they'll live on forever. He saved me from death twice...and I thank him for that every day."

As we walk away from the freshly-laid grave, I whispered to the wind, "So long, old pal."

--Thought I'd see you one more time again
There's just a few things coming my way this time around, now
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you fire and rain, now--
James Taylor, "Fire and Rain"

FIN

A/N: Thanks for reading my fanfic, please review if you liked it!

3 Neko Majin