Mirror Eighteen

"That was vile," Edward said, scowling. They had found the Armstrong family library, which apparently had a great tradition of housing rare and ancient alchemy texts. Armstrong had been waxing about that when they kicked him out, saying they had sibling matters to attend to.

"You deserved it," Edana retorted, seated on the corner of the desk. She had managed to ditch the purple dress, but her own clothes still seemed to be AWOL. She was now wearing a dark red dress shirt and slacks. Edana finished braiding her hair then tossed it over her shoulder. "I warned you."

The two Alphonses were seated on the floor, leaning against one of the many bookshelves in the room. They had several books open and were comparing notes. "Dornkirk, Dornkirk, Dornkirk!" The flesh Alphonse slammed a book closed angrily. "If I have to read the words "destiny" and "prognostication" in the same sentence again I'm going to punch something."

"We're not having any luck," the armor Alphonse said.

"I found something!" Alanza said. "… I think."

Everyone's attention swiveled to her, and she held a book out that she had pulled from a top shelf. "'The Crossing of Worlds,'" she read aloud. "'A Guide to separating the mind from the body…' Crap, maybe this isn't what we need after all…"

"Read through it anyway, Al, you never know," Edana said.

"We are making absolutely no progress," the other Edward said darkly.

"We've been at it for a day and a half," his Alphonse said, now halfway up a ladder. "Calm down, 'niisan. We'll find our path home. However long it takes."

The six of them combed through the Armstrong's library. While several books were found that might contain clues to what they needed, there was nothing concrete. Edana retired first, carting three books with her as she went. "I'm heading up, Al," she told Alanza.

"Go on without me," Alanza said. "I don't need sleep, so I'll keep looking, at least for tonight."

"Suit yourself. G'night, everyone."

When Edward caught himself nodding off over one of his own books, he realized that Edana had the right idea. He rose, stretching his arms above his head.

"Going to bed, 'niisan?" Alphonse asked quietly.

"Yup. Are you going to stay with Alanza?"

Alphonse glanced at the other suit of armor, who had appropriate a large stack of books around her. "I think I will, yes … I think that 'niichan is going to stay down here tonight as well." He tapped the side of his head, and Edward would swear he was grinning. "There are some useful things about being disembodied, I guess."

Edward patted his brother's shoulder as he passed. "G'night, Al. Don't try anything I wouldn't do until the mornin'."

At the doorway, Edward prodded the other Alphonse's sleeping form with a boot. "Rise an' shine, Al. There's actually a bed upstairs, if you can make it."

Alphonse opened one eye blearily, then realized he was sleeping face-first in an old book and rolled off of it. "Augh, what time is it?"

"Late. Go to bed."

"Mm." Alphonse struggled to his feet and followed Edward out of the library.

Edward softly shut the door behind him, then leaned against it with his eyes closed. He was somewhat disappointed that his Alphonse had elected to stay the night in the library. He wasn't fond of sleeping in a room by himself … that usually only happened when he and Alphonse were fighting. Even the times he had been hospitalized Alphonse had spent the night in the room with him.

He opened his eyes, then started in surprise. Edana was sprawled out on his bed, book open in front of her. She looked up at him. "Yo."

"…that's my bed," Edward said, the first logical thing to come to mind.

She glanced around. "So it is."

"What are you doing in it?"

"Commandeering it."

Edward blinked. "Why?"

"So that crazy bat … excuse me, Major Armstrong's younger sister … won't find me in the morning." Edana closed the book and sat up, yawning. "The other bed's empty, you know. You can sleep there."

"That's Al's bed."

"But he's not sleeping up here, so you can use it." Edana wriggled out of her trousers, which made Edward turn an interesting shade of red. Edana paused, then rolled her eyes at him. "It's not like I'm not wearing boxers," she snorted, pulling down the covers to dive under them.

As she spoke, Alphonse wandered in the room, wearing just that. Without even glancing at Edward, he made a beeline for the empty bed.

Edward blinked in confusion. "…my bed?" he tried again.

"Don't wanna sleep 'lone," Alphonse muttered sleepily, burrowing under the covers of the empty bed.

Edward rolled his eyes heavenward in exasperation, wondering where that left him to sleep. He glanced at one of the armchairs, then smiled, bringing his hands together.

The door opened quietly, and three heads peered in.

"I told you," Alphonse whispered fiercely. "And you wouldn't believe me."

The other Edward shook his head, looking amused. "They sleep like the dead."

"And snore in unison," Alanza chuckled. "Come on, before we wake them."

The door closed, just as quietly as it had opened.

Author's Note: I still have plans and ideas for this story, but ... my muses locked themselves in a tower room and negotiations have been slow.