Between Dreams and Reality

by The Plushie Bandit

[RoyEd and FuryHavoc in later chapters] The Dream Alchemist's on the loose, and when Edward is attacked, Roy and Shayla are gonna have their hands full keeping him, and themselves, alive in the most unlikey of places. Ch. 23 UP! I LIVE!

21. Failed Experiment

Bandit- First off, let me beg and plead for forgiveness so you don't all kill me for taking forever! The next chapter shouldn't take as long.

Okay, those of you that want a lemon will get your lemon. (hears a roar of applause) However, you will have to wait two chapters before you get it. (dodges knives) Three of my reviewers gave me this idea and it would NOT GO AWAY until I wrote it. So this chapter isn't supposed to be here…

Ed- It better be a damn good chapter! I want my lemon!

Bandit- Also, I don't want to be kicked off because I offended someone, so if you want the lemon, it will be post on my LJ. I'll give you guys the link when the time comes. There will be a lime where the lemon's supposed to be, so if you don't want to read anything regarding Roy and Ed getting it on, skip over it.

Roy- Who wants a lime? Give me a bucket of lemons!

Bandit- Oh shut it! And as for my three reviewers who gave encouraged me to write this (cough) Asaka Kiseragi and The soon to be world renown Gracie and Shadow Vampiress (cough), guess what? This chapter is dedicated to you! (sticks out tongue) I wouldn't celebrate yet… You have an angry Ed and pissed off Roy to deal with…. (smirks and prances off)

Ed- (transmutes hand) Oh, Gracie! Play with me!

Roy- (slips on gloves) Asaka, Shadow, let's have a little… chat.

Disclaimer- (rubs a lamp) I wish I owned FMA!………. (smashes lamp) Damn thing's broken…

(A/N)- Err… I have a feeling a lot of you were waiting for this chapter… Personally, I'm happy with this, but we all know how much my opinions matter. ;p Enjoy!

---

"Well, we're here," Ed announced, appearing to stop right in the middle of nowhere as far as Hughes and Roy could tell.

"Whoa, that is really bright…" Shayla stared in awe at the portal before them, observing the shifting hues of white and red. "I think you found it, Ed."

"Did he?" Hughes asked, looking in the exact same spot. "I can't see a thing." There was only endless black as far as the man could tell.

Roy walked closer, squinting. "I almost can. It's hard to make out, but it's there."

"Well, as long as Ed can see it, then that's all that matters." With a smile, Shayla started pushing Ed toward his body portal. "Go on, Ed. The sooner you get out of here, the sooner we can find our own portals."

"But… Shayla wait!" Ed leaned away from the woman's touch until she listened. "What will happen to my portal when I go through?"

"Your portal disappears as soon as a soul enters your body. When you wake up to reality, you'll be cut off from the realm," Hughes explained. "Don't worry, Ed. The Dream Alchemist couldn't follow you if he wanted."

Relieved, Ed allowed Shayla to continue pushing him. "Aren't you a little eager to get rid of me?" He asked teasingly.

"Wait Shayla." The woman sighed in exasperation.

"What Roy?"

Instead of answering, Roy turned to Hughes with a question. "Who is keeping Ed's body?"

"Umm… I think its Havoc. Why?"

"Just wondering. But we have a huge problem."

"Yeah. The problem is Ed's still here," Shayla snapped. "Get with the program, Roy. The Dream Alchemist could pop up anytime here."

"I know that," Roy replied calmly, "but you're forgetting something."

"What?"

"You and Ed are supposed to be dead." That stopped Shayla short. "If Ed just appears out of nowhere, especially if he's supposed to be buried, Stanford will kill him for real."

"Damn. Never thought our plan to save you guys would backfire," Hughes mused to himself. "And we had the entire military present for Ed's funeral, too."

"What?" Ed snapped. "The entire military? You can't be serious!"

Hughes held his hands up in case Ed charged at him. "Hey! Stanford's idea! Not my fault!" Then he mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "hot tempered chibis", but Ed's attention was already averted.

"It's another price to pay for being in the military, Ed," Roy stated easily. "Not that there are usually any complaints by the deceased."

Shayla closed her eyes, feeling a severe headache coming on. "I know you're right, but Ed would be much safer with Stanford after him than the Dream Alchemist."

Grudgingly, Roy admitted Shayla was correct. Stubborn as Stanford was, there was always the minuscule chance the Fuhrer would side with them. The Dream Alchemist, on the other hand, would never back down. He'd be after them until he had Ed. Still, he didn't like letting the boy leave if there was a chance he'd just walk into more danger, but he was out of options. "Edward, when you wake up at Havoc's, tell him you're to stay with him until I get to my own body and we figure out something suitable. My orders."

Ed nodded. "Gotcha." Without anymore prodding from Shayla, Ed walked over to his body portal. "See ya guys on the other side," he said without turning back. There was no need for a long goodbye. He'd be seeing them soon anyway. Hopefully.

"Oh, and tell everyone we're fine Ed," Shayla called out before the teen completely disappeared from sight, waving at his vanishing back.

The trio stood silently for a moment, feeling the fleeting effects only accomplishment could bring. Ed was safe in his own body, meaning the Dream Alchemist's plan was foiled, and all there was left to do was find their own respective body portals.

Hughes broke the calm with a large yawn, not bothering to cover it up. "Guess we should get going," he stated placidly. "The first thing I'm gonna do when I wake up is take a nap." All Roy could do in the face of such a statement was roll his eyes. Trust Hughes to say something that stupid.

"I bet you'll find yourself craving food instead of sleep," Roy answered. "I don't know how long we've been in a comatose state, but I'm sure our bodies protest the lack of food and water we've been getting."

"We're getting water," Hughes protested. "It's the food that was a problem. Couldn't exactly slide it down our throats, and we can't get any medical equipment without looking suspicious."

"That's easy. Just send Hawkeye with a loaded gun into the hospital when she's PMSing. You'd be surprised how fast you'd get the equipment."

Hughes laughed because that was so true and like Hawkeye, but then he noticed Shayla wasn't joining the conversation. The jab at a woman's bodily functions usually would be enough to send their Ishbalan friend off on a tangent. Instead, Shayla was still staring at the same place where Ed's body portal floated. "Shayla, what's wrong? Missing Ed's company already?"

"There's something wrong," she whispered, distress laced in her tone. Hughes dropped his joking banter in a hurry, now worried.

"Shayla…?"

"Hughes, Roy. The body portal's still there."

---

'Okay… this is not Havoc's apartment.'

When Ed stumbled through his so called "body portal", it was like walking into another realm; only this realm was complete with monsoon rains. Sheets of driving rain fell heavily from the heavens, and along with the darkness of night, it was an ominous picture indeed. Ed couldn't see an inch in front of him.

Vainly searching for some source of light or shelter, Ed used his jacket as an umbrella, not that it really helped. The blood red material was soaked through, along with any other article of clothing. 'Damn it! I need to find a place soon…' As if hearing his thoughts, the rain poured down harder until the added wetness started to weight Ed down. 'Add dry clothes to the list.'

Flashes of lightning illuminated the landscape, adding to the dim light the night couldn't blotch out. Ed's eyes soon adjusted well enough where he could make out a lone house in the distance, standing tall and alone, while the storm raged outside. It looked familiar, though Ed didn't trust his eyes at the moment. He could see, but the rain obscured a good deal of his view.

The heavy rains fought him every step of the way, determined to weigh the teen down so much he wouldn't be able to walk. 'It feels like I'm walking underwater', he thought sourly. In his aggravation, Ed couldn't wait to see Hughes again. He owed the man a punch to the face. 'Brightest light my ass…' This wasn't Central. That he was sure of. A tiny part of his mind insisted that Ed had been here before, but that thought was cast aside. He could survey his surroundings when he wasn't about to drown.

Now that he was closer to the house, Ed made out a few lights from inside, maybe even a human silhouette. Hopefully the people there would give him shelter. The house itself was not too big, standing at only two stories, and the familiarity was unquestionable. 'It's Winry's house.' There was no mistaking it. Immediately Ed felt better as the storm and scenery finally clicked in his mind. This was the memory when he and Al had gone back to visit the Rockbells, just when they'd gotten Al's body back. Realizing that made the entire situation seem much brighter.

It took longer than anticipated, but Ed finally made his way up the small steps and to the front door. He took his time catching his breath; relieved to be partially out of the storm and proud he'd made it through. It was still raining cats and dogs, along with some sheep and cows for good measure. 'It's really coming down…' he thought to himself. Then Ed knocked as loudly as possible, wanting to be heard.

While waiting patiently, Ed admitted he could no longer ignore a nagging voice in his head that insisted he was missing a piece of vital information. There was something… off about the storm. Had it been raining this hard when he'd come back with Al? Right now he couldn't really remember, and it aggravated him to no end.

Wait… hadn't there been another storm? Just like this? Ed thought hard. Yes there had, and that was the day when he tr..ie..d to…

'No… Please no…'

At that precise moment the door opened to reveal a miniature version of Winry with a quizzical look on her young face. "Hello? What are you doing out in a storm like this? Who ar…." The smaller girl trailed, her eyes widening as she recognized the stranger on her front porch. "Ed?" Winry breathed. "No, but you're… taller…"

"Winry?" Pinako called out from inside. "Who's stupid enough to be out in the rain? Is it Edward and Alphonse?"

It was too much for Edward to take. Slowly he backed away, his eyes frozen in fear and realization as he took in the sight of Winry. She was too shocked herself to stop him from going back out into the storm, watching the man disappear into the rainy darkness. Only when he was out of sight did she call out, but it was too late. Ed was gone.

---

"What do you mean?" Hughes asked, the information not computing.

"The body portal is still there, which leads me to believe that it's not a body portal at all," Shayla gritted out. "I think Ed walked into a memory or a dream."

"Wonderful," Roy commented sarcastically. "Should've seen that coming. Things rarely go in our favor when we really need it." He was already striding toward the portal, not bothering to see if Shayla or Hughes were behind him.

"Hey! Wait up, Roy!" Hughes shouted, then promptly felt himself being dragged by his arm. "Shayla let go!"

"Shut up, Hughes. We've got to get Ed. He can't sense portals and there's a chance that's not his memory." Deciding it was best to go with the flow, Hughes let Shayla pull him through the portal. It was best to let Shayla and Roy have their way, especially if Ed was involved.

The first thing all three of them noticed was it was raining. Hard. The wind wasn't blowing very badly, but the amount of precipitation more than made up for it.

"Where the hell are we?" Shayla complained, her hair already dripping wet.

"Like I know," Hughes said, ignoring the rain better than Shayla could. He took off his glasses, ready to wipe away the moisture, then decided there was no point with all the rainwater. He'd just have to deal with it for now. "Do you know where Roy went?" he asked, putting his glasses back on.

"I'm right here, you ignoramus!" A pissed off voice erupted from somewhere behind them. "Help me up!"

Turning around, it took will power not to laugh at Roy's current state. The man must've stumbled backwards for some odd reason and had landed in a deep mud puddle, his entire military uniform covered in filth. The rain gave Roy the appearance of a drowning dog.

Irritated at the snickers he could hear, Roy bit the inside of his lip to keep from pouting or something equally childish. Hughes staggered over and lent him a hand, which Roy gratefully took. It took a bit of pulling on Hughes' part; the mud hole was deeper than it looked, but a few minutes later the raven haired man was back on his feet, if not more than a little dirty.

"We should get looking," Shayla said finally, constantly moving her wet bangs out of her view. The sooner they found Ed, the sooner they could go back to the realm. Dark as the realm was, it was an improvement over this dank memory. "I think I've seen this place, actually." Her eyes slowly adjusted to the night, and Shayla took in the scenery. The sloping hills, though covered in rain and shadows, reminded Shayla of something she once saw.

"I think I have as well," Roy replied. In fact, he knew he'd been here. It would be impossible for him to forget. "Of all the damn memories to fall into. Ed's probably having a seizure."

"Is this the day Ed you-know-what?" Hughes asked quietly to Roy, speaking in low tones so Shayla couldn't hear. If she was going to find out about Ed's past, better it be from Ed's mouth.

"I'm sure of it. I came here to… apologize to Winry and her grandmother." Hughes 'ahh'ed silently and nodded. He remembered when Roy had left Central for a personal mission long ago. "I can't tell what time it is, so I'm not sure when I'll be making an appearance…"

Shayla watched the two men hold a conversation without her, instinctively knowing if she moved closer they'd hush up. She tried to convince herself it didn't matter if she was being left out: it's not like it never happened before. Still, a tiny piece of herself immediately blamed her past and the fact her friends knew she was Ishbalan. 'Did you really think they would accept you?' it whispered, sounding roughly like her mother. 'You shouldn't get your hopes up. You're still a demon.' Shayla inwardly flinched and crushed the thought, refusing to let herself brood over it. Now wasn't the time for self-pity. They needed to find Ed.

Without telling them, Shayla walked a distance away. It was still raining hard, but not as hard as before; either way the woman ignored it. She put all her concentration on finding some source of light or a shelter where Ed might've gone to escape the storm.

Her short walk lengthened into an all out manhunt, Hughes and Roy long forgotten. Some part of her worried she'd lose her way and be as lost as Ed might be, but Shayla disregarded it. The feeling of deja vu clouded her judgment considerably, to the point where Shayla wasn't only looking for Ed but struggling to place the memory. 'I know I've been here before…' Everything screamed at her to remember, from the drowning farms to the gloomy hills and the overlooked forest…

It came back to her in a jolt, and Shayla wanted to laugh at her absurdity. Now that she knew where she was, finding Ed would be much easier. Knowing the teen, Ed was probably hiding out at his mother's house for sentimental values, not that she could blame him. Shayla knew her friend had lost his parents at a young age, though that was all. Ed's past was somewhat of a mystery around Central, and those that did know about it were stubbornly quiet.

Finding Ed's house was ridiculously simple. Now that Shayla knew where she was, the storm could do little to hide the features of Ed's hometown. In anger the rains picked up again and blew in her face to steer her off course. It was in vain, for Shayla could already make out the outline of the Elric house. There were even some lights on as well.

Shayla shivered from the cold, hoping Trisha wouldn't mind letting her stay until the storm broke. It did occur to Shayla that she should feel slightly remorseful. She never did tell Mustang and Hughes where she was going. For all the brunette knew they could still be in the same spot as before. It didn't seem fair that she would get out of this storm while those two drowned. Not that Shayla was really worried.Hughes and Roy were big boys; they could handle themselves. But still… 'I'll go get them. You never know with those two.' Her friends could be complete idiots when they put their minds to it.

Before she could turn around, a shadow moved in her line of vision. The lights from the Elric home gave her enough time to make out the figure disappearing inside the house, the red coat a dead giveaway. 'What's Ed doing?' If Ed went inside, his mother would surely see him! Even if it was a memory, having Trisha see the older version of her eldest son was sure to create problems for them.

Shayla ran the rest of the way, jumping over mud holes or small rivulets on the unrecognizable path. Ed had left the door open, and she easily slid inside, trying to make the least amount of noise. The first room held the familiar table from Ed's other memory, but other than that there was nothing Shayla could identify with. Trisha never gave her a tour of the house.

"Stop it! Let me go!" A ruckus of voices came from upstairs, sounding like two… No, three… Either way, Shayla followed the outraged voice, not bothering to creep. The noises got louder until she faced a closed door, where the light she saw from outside was coming from.

"You stupid kid! It's not worth it!"

Shayla wrenched the door open, finding Edward having a death grip on a smaller version of himself. The kid was kicking and screaming for all he was worth, trying to wriggle his arms out of Ed's hands. The sight would've been comical if it weren't for the fact Ed had allowed himself to be seen, by himself of all people.

"Ed, what the hell are you doing!" Two faces looked up, and Shayla sighed in annoyance. "I meant the older one! Let him go!"

The teen's eyes narrowed into slits, a dark rage crossing his face. "I'm not gonna let myself make the same stupid mistake!"

"What stupid mistake? Ed, what's going on!" The last thing she'd expected was Ed attacking the younger version of himself.

"Let me go!" The smaller Ed howled in anger. "I need to bring her back! This has nothing to do with you!" He struggled harder, but it was a losing battle; the teen held on tighter if possible, growling softly.

Shayla stared at the small boy, uncomprehending. "Bring her back," she whispered to herself. It was then that she noticed the large array drawn on the floor, the center filled with an odd assortment of bottles and a dagger, the reflections flashing from the ceiling light. "What… is this?" She'd never seen an array like that before. "And where's Trisha?" Both Eds stilled at the name, and the older Ed traded his rage for a look of deep regret. "Ed…"

"They're trying to perform a human transmutation," Ed answered quietly, his grip never lessening. "They want to bring their mother back." Ed didn't meet Shayla's gaze, instead staring off into a corner.

"What are you talking about…? Where's your…?" Shayla let the question hang in the air, their silence enough of an answer. "She's gone…" Maybe because she'd met the woman in Ed's memory did Shayla take the death more personally, a sting of sorrow hitting her heart.

Chibi Ed went still, tears escaping his eyes in tiny streams. "She was all we had… we have to bring her back…" he cried, his head bent. "You wouldn't understand."

"I understand a lot more than you think, kid," Ed said, his tone lowered. "And you won't like the price you'll have to pay. It's not worth it. Your mother wouldn't want this. Just let it go."

This was the wrong thing to say. Small shoulders stiffened in hateful resentment, and the little Ed started to lash out. "Just cause you look like me doesn't mean you understand how I feel! How'd you like it if your mother died and your father's too much of a coward to come back when she needed him!"

"Hey, calm down…" Shayla stepped closer and tried to console the boy. "We just don't want you getting hurt…"

"I'm not some little kid you can boss around!" In a last ditch effort; the small Ed kicked his older counterpart in the groin. That certainly did the trick. All the air was pushed out of Ed's lungs, and he dropped the child in favor of curling up and whimpering at the blossoming pain.

As soon as he was free, small Ed charged at Shayla. He attacked with a fierce kick to her shins, and Shayla bared dodged it. She didn't counterattack, instead backing up with her hands raised, hoping it would be enough to calm the boy.

"Wait! I don't want to fight you!" Shayla was, simply put, not suited for hand-to-hand combat. Her skinny frame was made for whipping, not punching, and there was no doubt who'd win the fight. The last thing the woman wanted was to have a child wipe the floor with her body.

"Shayla, grab him…" Ed wheezed, struggling to uncurl from his fetal position. He'd forgotten the smaller him knew how to fight as well.

"Ed, I really can't at the moment!" Shayla screamed. Embarrassing as it was, Shayla was running away from the small Ed, wishing she had her whip. She wouldn't use it, not on a kid, but at least she'd look more threatening. "Why do you know how to fight at this age?"

The question was aimed at her friend, but the smaller one answered. "To make sure people like you don't interfere!" he snapped, stopping his pursuit. Little Ed got down on his knees and whipped out a piece of chalk. He started drawing, a smirk on his face.

"No, don't!" She didn't know what he was about to do, but it couldn't be good. Shayla did a complete 180, turning on her heels and darting back toward the boy. "Stop!"

The tiny Ed just shot her a wide grin and activated his new array. The ground in the shed began to shake, and Shayla stopped running in favor of keeping herself from falling. As soon as she did, her feet began to sink into the ground, like quicksand. "ED!" she screamed, though which one she was screaming at was unclear. 'The little bastard's gonna kill me!' (1)

Instead of sinking like she thought she would, the ground hardened again around her ankles. The woman yelped and landed on her butt, completely immobilized. "Idiot. I'm not gonna kill you. I just don't want you doing anything stupid," Chibi Ed stated, staring at Shayla like she was dumb.

"Kid, you're making a mistake!" Shayla yelled. Even if she didn't know the details, something bad would happen if that boy activated the bigger array. Why else would Ed be dead against him using it? "Don't use that array!"

"You're in no position to tell me what to do," the golden haired boy stated, flashing another one of his huge grins.

"But I am." The grin was wiped off his face when the older Ed grabbed him by his collar, hoisting the child in the air. "And you're not going to activate that array."

It was at this time another decided to make an entrance. From behind the huge piece of silver armor, Alphonse stepped out. He looked nervously at the visitors, not having his brother's lion heart attitude, but still determined to help his older sibling out. "Leave my brother alone!" he shouted, taking a step closer to Ed.

"Al, activate the array!"

"Alphonse, don't listen to your brother!" Shayla called, still stuck in the floor. "You're not doing him a favor by helping him!" Alphonse looked warily at the woman, torn between helping Ed and listening to an adult. "You know this isn't the right thing to do!"

"Don't you talk to him!" Now little Ed struggled angrily, forgetting any training he'd learned as he wildly swinging his fists. "Don't you dare boss him around!"

"If you don't stop moving, I'm gonna knock you out, brat." The teen wrapped his metal arm around the boy's waist, which effectively pinned his arms. "Just stay still!"

"Al! Activate the array! Do it now!" In the end it was his loyalty to his brother that won Alphonse over. Forcing himself to ignore Shayla's pleas, the younger boy quickly ran over to the large array on the floor. As soon as he dropped to his knees, another loud yell got his attention.

"No, AL!" Ed dropped his younger counterpart in favor of stopping Alphonse from completing the transmutation. Before Alphonse placed his hands on the circle, two strong hands wrapped around his wrists and gently pulled him away. "Al, no." To Ed's surprise, Alphonse didn't put up a fight at all, letting himself be led away. A second later he knew why.

The kick to his temple was a low blow indeed. Even more surprising was the amount of pain there was, especially coming from a ten year old. 'Is it possible to underestimate myself this much?' he mused through the foggy pain in his face. He really did know how to fight as a kid, though that was a poor conciliation at the moment.

The younger Ed's lips curled in satisfaction as the man with his face released his grip on Alphonse and fell to the floor with a thud. No one touched his little brother. "Come on, Al. Let's bring her back." Al stared at Shayla and the other Ed for a moment, then did as he was told. Solemnly, both boys knelt down to the floor, ready to return their mother back to the land of the living. Ed reached for the knife lying amongst the bottles of ingredients for a human body, cutting himself and his brother shallowly on the arm.

"No!" Edward rubbed the side of his head in order to ease the ache, cursing mentally. He couldn't let it happen again. "Don't do it! You'll lose Al!" He stood up, then promptly fell to the floor after a wave of dizziness hit him. 'Why did he have to hit me in the head?'

"Don't listen to them," little Ed stated easily, but his tone trembled. How dare that man assume anything! Neither he nor the woman had a right; they didn't understand anything! But the thought of losing Al was staggering for him. Surely their blood was enough to bring their mother back… But what if they messed up? No, it wasn't possible; after all the training the two of them had done, there was no way they could screw it up. He and Al would always be together, and soon they'd be with their mom again. The older guy was just lying. Yeah, that was it. "It's a lie, Al. Let's do this quick," he said, tone firming up. He just had to trust himself.

Alphonse appeared even more unsure than his brother, but if he was having second thoughts he said nothing. Both brothers placed their hands on the edge of the array, watching a glowing purplish light erupt from inside and around the edges instantaneously. The bottles and blood disappeared, the light getting more intense. Al and Ed both looked on in awe and happiness. Never in their young lives had they seen such a magnificent sight, one so full of hope. "It's working…" Alphonse breathed. "You were right, brother."

'I was right.' Ed couldn't help the smile that lit up his face along with the alchemic light. 'Of course I was. Everything's gonna be okay.'

The light slowly grew brighter still, until no one in the room could see very clearly. Shayla was stunned into silence. The familiar buzz of alchemy filled her senses, bringing back a few unwanted feelings of unease. Whatever was going on involved very powerful, dangerous alchemy. 'They don't realize what they're doing…' she thought. 'Do they really think a little blood is a good enough exchange for a human soul?'

Ed squeezed his eyes shut and didn't bother to look, already knowing what would happen. There was nothing he could do. If he interfered, there was no telling what would happen to him. This was a memory, but if the gate took him, Ed had a feeling he wouldn't be able to come back. Just sitting here was ripping him apart inside, but trying anything would prove reckless and plain stupid.

"Brother, what's happening!" The light, if possible, had turned violent, pulling insistently at both brothers. The once soothing emotion of hope was quickly being replaced by one of panic, and Al started to whimper in pain. His hand… "Brother…"

'Oh, fuck it.' Whether or not the call was meant for him, Ed wouldn't watch his little brother lose his body. Not again. The teen got to his feet and stumbled over to the dangerous array.

"Al! Ed! Get away from that light!" Shayla screamed. Maybe she was hallucinating, but the light almost appeared to be… eating them.

"Al! AL!" Little Ed called out desperately for his sibling. He could barely see through it, just faintly making out Al's face. His brother was sobbing, and right then Ed wished he could take it all back. If he'd known this would be the price for trying to bring back their mother… "AL!" With his left hand, he groped through the light for Al's own outstretched arm. "Al, help me!" Already the searing agony had moved to his knees. Anything below that he couldn't feel. "ALLL!"

"No! Brother, come back!" Al screamed.

Shayla watched slack jawed as the young Edward Elric… disintegrated, for lack of a better word. Half his body had vanished, and at the rate it was disappearing it wouldn't be long before he was completely gone. 'Oh my goddess…'

Alphonse was petrified. He could make out Ed's hand and face in the purple luminosity, but Al couldn't reach the hand. It was just too far away. Al's own hand burned with an unseen force, the boy almost recoiling. But he had to get his brother back. If he lost Ed, he'd have nothing left. He'd be alone forever. "Brother! Take my hand!" Alphonse stretched the full extent of his body, his fingers brushing Ed's. 'So close…' Just a little more and he'd succeed. Just a little more…

"No! Don't do it, Al!" A strong arm wrapped around Al's waist and arms, hoisting him backwards and away from the light. "You'll get pulled in, too!" Al resisted this time, but Ed used his metal arm to capture the boy's arms in a tight hold.

"NO! LET ME GO!" Alphonse kicked and screamed and sobbed at his captor in defiance. "I HAVE TO SAVE HIM!" Ed's hand was still stretching out, waiting for Al to bring him back. "PLEASE LET ME GO!"

Edward ignored the flailing boy in his arms. His eyes locked onto a pair of identical golden ones widened in unfathomable fear and agony, and he said nothing for comfort. Without a word Ed turned away from the plea for help and ran over to his friend.

"Shayla, don't let him go," Ed stated calmly, handing Al over to the trapped woman. Shayla silently nodded, holding the sobbing boy close to her chest. "I'm gonna help Ed now." He didn't wait for an answer. There was barely enough time left anyway.

Swiftly Ed ran over to the large piece of armor propped up against the wall. Just looking at it made him ill, more than ever with all the bad memories it brought crashing back. 'Now's not the time!' Ed cursed himself before yanking the familiar helmet off, and then he transmuted his arm into a blade. "No point in finding the knife when you can make your own," he said cheerfully to himself despite the grim situation. He quickly sliced is own finger, letting the blood seep out. 'Please let me remember how to do this…' Last time he'd done this, it'd been born out of desperation, but now he had a level head. Ed wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

No doubt the younger Ed's body was just about gone, judging from the sudden torrent of yells from both boys. 'I tried…to stop them…' Despite that, Ed felt like a heartless bastard. No child deserved to go through something like this, whether it was their fault or not. Every part of him screamed 'I could've done better. If I tried harder, this wouldn't have happened.'

The sudden wetness on his cheeks didn't come as a surprise.

Edward glanced over his shoulder just in time to see his counter part's hand disappear from view. "That's my cue." Tracing the array on the metal was relatively easy; it was the next part that would test his skills. "Please let this work." Taking what might be his last breath, Ed activated his makeshift array and plunged his mind into the light abyss and searched.

Shayla rocked her body back and forth, letting Al exhaust himself out with his crying and screaming. She couldn't look for little Ed's disappearing body; it hurt too much. Instead she closed her eyes and prayed silently to Ishbala for the first time in fifteen years. It didn't bring the woman any comfort; praying to that particular god never did, but it kept her mind off the fact she was helpless to stop the boy's suffering. All the brunette could do now was hope Edward knew what he was doing.

Another light where Ed was standing caused the Ishbalan to open her eyes. When she looked over, a huge piece of armor was lit up, along with Ed's flesh arm. Both sources of light grew until nothing else was visible, and Al burrowed his head between Shayla's bosom to escape it. The amount of alchemy in the air made both him and Shayla want to flinch away.

A second later all brightness vanished from the small room, leaving only the three occupants inside, followed closely by a wet, squelchy noise. Al yelped at the sound, going straight into another series of sobs and cries for his lost brother. Rubbing gently circles on his back, Shayla did her best to comfort him.

"…Ed?" Shayla called out timidly. "Ed, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Shayla." The woman breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "But we've got a bit of a problem…" Ed tiredly walked back over to where Shayla sat, dropping to his knees.

"…It didn't work, did it?" Shayla asked quietly. Literally, she felt Al still in her lap.

"… It worked," Ed stated slowly, "but we really need to get out of here now."

"What happened?" Shayla did a quick look over to make sure Ed still retained all his necessary body parts. "You look fi-- OH GOD! WHERE'S YOUR ARM!"

---

"Where'd Shayla go?" Hughes swore he'd only turned around for a moment, and the next thing he knew their Ishbalan friend was missing.

"I'd think that obvious," Roy snorted, his black hair matted down against his scalp. Aggravated, he pushed the bangs out of the way. "She's looking for Ed, which is most likely a good idea."

"But we can't tell where she went."

"She can take care of herself," Roy stated, taking a few steps ahead. He still searched for any type of shelter to get them out of the rain. It felt ready to start back up. "We, on the other hand, need to find a dry, preferably warm sanctuary." In response, a boom of thunder laughed at his notion.

"I still think we should look for them…" Hughes confessed. "The sooner we find them--"

"--the sooner we get out. I know." Roy sighed in exasperation. Rain made him irritable, and Hughes always managed to bug him. Put the two together and you got a winning combination that would most likely result in fire and bloodshed… if it weren't for the damn rain. "Alright. Let's look for them, but if we find a haven, I'm staying there until the storm dies off."

Hughes chuckled in his throat, finding the entire situation amusing despite the atrocious weather. "I forgot that rain pisses you off."

Roy grunted in response. Just for that, he'd barbeque the man when he got the chance. His fingers just itched at the idea.

As the raven-haired man predicted, the rain began dancing in their faces as if trying to fly up their noses and choke the men. With Roy in the lead, he and Hughes stepped through the countryside in search of any visible houses or for their missing friends. They were in for a rough time; instead of heading for Winry's house or directly to the Elric home, Hughes and Roy made a beeline for the last place they needed to be.

"Well, there's a forest. Trees provide shelter," Hughes commented. Not like this forest appeared to look friendly. The dense vegetation repelled almost all light, making it darker than out in the storm. Plus the tangled, wild, threateningly aggressive appearance helped make it look like something from a child's imagination. Not for a minute did Hughes actually think Roy would enter. The man hated anything that dealt with outdoor exercise, and forests fell into the category.

"Well? Let's go," Roy grumbled irritably, shocking Hughes for once. 'Wow. I underestimated his hate for rain…' Hughes thought. He couldn't help but chuckle again, and Roy sent him a glare that clearly said, 'shut the hell up before I maim you.'

Without another word the taller man followed the Colonel into the forest. Even with the danger of getting electrocuted, the sudden disappearance of falling rain was a great relief. Only little droplets were able to get through the dense thicket, and for once Roy enjoyed being in the middle of the woods. Not that he'd tell Hughes that. Hell, the man probably already knew. Roy could feel his muscles loosening.

"Feeling better?" Hughes asked sweetly, and Roy stiffened up. Damn man.

"Just wait until my gloves dry, Hughes," Roy replied, making sure his voice dripped with malice.

As much as they loved the lack of rainfall, it was still too dangerous tramping around the forest with all the lightning. Shelter, once again, was their first priority. But Hughes knew now that Roy was out of the rain, he wasn't going back out there without putting up a decent fight. They'd have to find a place inside the woods.

Luck seemed agree with them. It was Hughes who spotted the cave hidden below the edge of a small hill, placed between a series of large bushes. "Maybe we should stay there," he said, pointing over to the spot. "We can stay there until the lightning stops." Sure, the cave looked more ill omened than the forest, but it was better than nothing.

Roy hesitated. Though he was almost completely nature ignorant, he did know animals would also be staying in any refuge they could find. "Hughes, there could be--" When Roy turned; Hughes was already moving shrubs out of the way. "--dangerous… animals." he finished.

"So you'd rather get hit by lightning?"

Rather than answer, Roy growled and pushed Hughes a bit to the side. "Oh shut up." Together they inched their way through the thick growth and into the dark cavern, listening carefully for any potential predators.

The cave didn't appear that large, only an eight-foot radius as far as Roy could tell, in spite of the fact he couldn't see into the back. So far nothing had snuck up on them, but Roy still walked in warily, waiting for anything.

"Well, nothing seems to be in here," Hughes mused, barging in while Roy was in stealth mode. He leaned casually against the wall near the entrance, his eyes picking up every detail. "Nothing to do but wait it out, I guess."

"Joy." Roy decided to stand, staring out into the night. Thunder still boomed outside, sorely reminding the Colonel that Ed and Shayla could still be out there. Since the woman had no knowledge of this place and no one had any knowledge about her, Shayla's ignorance would most likely keep her out of trouble… he hoped. Ed however… It was doubtful the teen was taking this well. Why would he? If Edward were spazzing out right now Roy wouldn't blame him.

"Stop worrying," Hughes said lightly. "They'll be fine. They're State Alchemists for a reason."

"I'm not worried," Roy replied half-heartedly. A growl reached his ears, and the man glared over at his friend. "I'm not."

"Sure…" Hughes shot him a knowing look. "So you weren't chewing on your lower lip wondering where Ed and Shayla, but most likely Ed, were."

Roy felt his cheeks going pink and was thankful for the lack of light. "What I'm thinking is none of your business." Another growl bit at his eardrums and Roy growled right back.

"Awwwwww. I think it's cute though."

"I'd prefer it if you never refer to me as cute, Hughes."

"You're not cute," Hughes snickered. "You look like a bastard most of the time. I'm just saying the way you worry about Edward is cute."

'Well someone has to worry about him.' That's what Roy was thinking, not saying. Hughes would have a heart attack if Roy said something that sweet. 'And if Hughes has a heart attack, he'll stop talking.' So tempting…

A firm push on his thigh brought Roy out of his musing. "Hughes, if you touch me again, I swear you won't make it out of this cave alive."

"… I didn't," Hughes told the Colonel honestly. A low moaning sound rang out in the small cavern, and Roy froze. That didn't sound human….

"Hughes, was that you?"

"Nope."

Both were completely silent then, holding their breaths. No lightning lit the skies, so it was all but impossible to see.

Roy's jacket shifted away from him, being pulled by an unknown force. In response the man jerked away quickly, keeping his eyes peeled for anything to jump out and bite him. "There's something here, Hughes," he stated calmly.

"Oh, I thought you knew that already."

"What!" Forgetting their stranger, Roy pinpointed Hughes' voice and strode over to him. He was going to choke the man. "And you didn't tell me this because…?"

"You'd freak out," Hughes answered cheerfully, acting oblivious to the danger he was in. "And I'd rather stay in here with a cub anyway."

"A CUB?" As if hearing this, the tiny bear cub wobbled over and butted against Roy again, moaning softly.

"Awwww…. I think it likes you!" Hughes calmly leaned over and carefully petted the animal's fur. "Poor deluded fellow, falling for the bastard Colonel."

Roy scooted away, trying to convince himself that a bear cub didn't bother him. Not in the least. "Hughes, don't… pet it. It's a wild animal."

"It's fine. He doesn't know what we are, so he's not afraid. We shouldn't be, either." Enjoying the treatment, the miniature bear allowed Hughes to continue scratching its ears. "I doubt he'll harm us."

Shrugging, Roy let it drop. "Fine. Just don't blame me when it bites your arm off."

"Why Roy!" Hughes put a hand to his chest in mock astonishment. "If I didn't know you so well, I'd swear you're afraid of our little friend! You poor thing," he simpered. "I'm here to save you!"

"I'm not afraid of that thing," Roy ground out.

"It's called a bear, Roy. You're gonna offend him." Hughes switched to the other ear.

"Like I care. And for your information, there's nothing in these god forsaken woods I can't handle."

"That's good," Hughes said, finally leaving the bear cub.

Roy stared at him suspiciously. "Why do you say that?"

"Oh, cause the mother bear's gonna be mighty pissed when she finds us alone with her kid."

"… …And where is its mother?"

A thundering roar exploded from outside, the huge body of the mother bear covering the entrance and denying her human guests escape.

If there was a time Roy wanted to scream, that time was now. Immediately both he and Hughes ran to the end of the cave, running straight into a dead end. "Shit!" Luck seemed to have abandoned them.

"Wait," Hughes hissed, getting down on his knees. "Follow me, okay?" Roy watched his friend's head disappear into what seemed to be a smaller entrance, slowly followed by the rest of his body. "There's another cave in here."

Roy forced himself not to make Hughes go faster, not bothering to wonder how he knew about the hidden cave. The only reason they were still alive was because of the cub. It was still wobbling up to its mother, preventing her from doing any damage to them without hurting it. But once the cub was out of the way… "Hughes, hurry!" Not for the first time did he curse the rain. He couldn't even use his gloves for protection.

At last, Hughes' feet disappeared and Roy dropped to the floor and scrambled after fast, hearing the ground beneath him pound as the mother finally charge after him.

Roy's arm was soon pulled out from under him as Hughes dragged him out of the small entrance with relative ease, a huge bear paw swiping where his torso had been not a second ago. She snarled in anger as she met nothing but air instead of the flesh she'd hoped for.

Both men watched the paw, breathing hard and fast. They backed up some more, just in case, leaning heavily against the rock walls for support. At last Hughes let a chuckle, and his easy going attitude returned.

"I think that was his mother," Hughes stated.

"No! REALLY? I thought that was its dad!" Roy hissed, barely able to keep from screaming in fury. They were safe for now, but if they didn't find a way out…

"Actually, I think the fathers don't help raise the cubs…"

"Hughes…" Roy wanted nothing better than to throw Hughes out with the enraged mother bear. "Would you please attempt to make yourself useful! You're the nature freak!"

"I guess she might get tired and leave us alone, now that the cub is safe. Or at least as far as she's concerned." Of course, Hughes was guessing. And it seemed he guessed wrong as the paw continued to swipe as far as it could reach for the next thirty minutes.

"I thought you said it would leave us alone, Hughes…" Roy snapped.

"Err… I guess she doesn't like to share her cave, whether the cub's in it or not." Hughes shrugged nonchalantly, as if a four hundred pound bear weren't waiting to tear him to pieces. "Bears can be territorial," he lectured.

"Thank you so much for the lesson, Hughes," Roy deadpanned. "But what do we do?"

"Guess we'll have to wait for your gloves to dry. My knives aren't gonna help us much…" Soon Hughes brightened. "Or maybe she'll leave after a while!"

"Either way I have to stay in this cave and wait… with you." From Roy, the idea didn't sound too pleasant. What a mess this was… Resigning to his fate, Roy pushed his back to the rough cave wall and let his thoughts stray back to Ed. He really hoped the boy was fine… 'Or at least faring better than I am.'

"Oh no you don't. If you start thinking about Ed, you'll get reckless and throw yourself at the bear."

In response, Roy elbowed the other man hard in the side. "Then what do you propose we do?"

"Let's play a game."

"……………… You can't be serious."

"Why not?" Hughes pouted. "At least it will pass the time."

"We are in our thirties, Maes. Men in their thirties don't play games… at least not the sane ones." The mother bear roared as if in agreement, still searching for her prey.

"All the more reason! You're in love with a hot-tempered alchemist that will undoubtedly one day kill you in your sleep. That's about as far from sane as you can get."

Roy didn't want to admit it, but the man had a point. "Fine," he sighed irritably. "What game?"

Hughes wore a huge grin, a gleam in his emerald eyes. "You know the one."

"Oh Hughes!" In exasperation, Roy threw his hands in the air. He was stuck in this horrific memory, Ed and Shayla were missing, it was raining, and now his best friend wanted him to play that idiotic game while a mother bear desperately tried to claw them out of her cave… Was everything against him? "Fine!"

'Is it a crime to have this much fun toying with him?' Hughes thought. Ah well, it was for the man's benefit anyway. Aggravating Roy was a dangerous business indeed, but the older man had long ago perfected the art. "Okay, I'll start, and it can be about anything. Bear."

"Rain," Roy grumbled.

"Night."

"Transmutation."

"Night."

"… You used that one."

Hughes grinned. "I know, but we never specified the rules." Instead of arguing, Roy let it slide.

"Fine, Maes. Tension."

"Night." Hughes had to bit his lip or otherwise laugh.

"… Turn." Roy did that on purpose. Surely Hughes wouldn't…

"Night."

"Damn you!" Roy wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh at the man's antics or scream at him. "Stop using that word!"

Hughes had the nerve to look offended. "Then stop using words that end in 'N'. Really, your vocabulary is limited."

"You… you…" The words choked in his throat, and Roy's eyebrows knotted in an attempt to keep from laughing. He would not give in. "How the hell did you become Head of Investigations?"

"I showed everyone pictures of my cute little Elicia!" Hughes dived into picture mode, already searching his pockets. "After seeing her smiling face, they had to promote me for her sake!"

A small photo was thrust under Roy's nose. He couldn't see what the picture was, but he could very well guess. "Get that out of my face, Hughes."

"Awww… but--"

"Now." Fearing for his photographs, Hughes conceded and put the pictures back into his wallet.

"You're no fun."

"Looking at your pictures isn't fun, Hughes." Roy sighed to himself, noticing the mother bear had retreated back, though he could still hear her heavy breathing. He fingered his gloves lightly, frowning when he decided them too damp to use yet. Seemed they'd be stuck in the cave a while longer.

"Okay, we'll play something else. Elicia loves this game! It's called 'I Spy'." Immediately Roy cringed. How could they play that in the dark? "Don't worry. I'll go easy on you."

Roy decided against replying. It wasn't worth it. "Just spy something."

"Okay! I spy with my eye, something that is… … black."

Roy face faulted. Hughes did not just say that. "This entire cave is pitch black, Hughes! How am I supposed to spy anything in this darkness!"

Hughes held in a laugh. "I don't know. I really didn't think that far."

"That's because thinking requires brain cells which you are seriously lacking. Gods, I hate you so much right now…" Roy's shoulders shook in suppressed laughter, a few snorts escaping. Sometimes his friend was nothing but a kid in the body of an adult. Annoying as that could be, Roy finally got the message. It was Hughes' way of telling him to loosen up.

Saying nothing, the man with glasses listened to the sounds of Roy's tension ebbing away with a secretive grin on his face. The Colonel was too high strung most of the time. Even he needed to laugh. "Better?" he asked.

After getting a rein on himself, Roy nodded, still feeling the effects of his emotional release. He felt at ease, like a stubborn pressure had been lifted. "Yes, you ass." His voice lacked conviction, too relaxed to be serious.

"Good." The two sat in companionable silence, now noticing how they couldn't hear the mother bear anymore. She most likely left in search of food for her cub and herself. The storm still raged on outside, but Roy felt much better, almost to the point where he could forget how much he hated rain.

"We should get going. We've wasted too much time and we still don't know where Shayla and Ed are." Hughes stuck his head out first, waiting a few moments before crawling through with Roy behind him. Both men stood up and carefully tiptoed to the entrance of the cave in case the mother bear decided to make a reappearance, but she had left with her cub a while ago.

"We got lucky," Hughes said, glaring at where his jacket ripped from the pointy bushes. "I don't think mother bears are usually that forgiving."

Roy made a humming noising, already cursing the water falling on his head. He let Maes lead the way out; the man was much better at finding their previous trail then he was.

In a matter of minutes, the familiar terrain of hills and farms made itself known once again. A shower of water drenched them both as if waiting for their arrival when they broke through the forest. 'I hate this weather…'

"Let's just head in this direction," Hughes advised, pointing in the opposite direction or the woods. "Knowing us, that was probably the way we should've gone in the first place."

Once again Roy said nothing, only nodding in agreement and following. After that forest, he was sure anywhere they went would bear better results.

Neither spoke as they continued their walk, the returning thunder a constant pounding in their ears. It was Roy who came up close to the other man, walking by his side so he could be heard. "Maes…" Roy sounded oddly hesitant to his own ears, and Hughes picked up on it.

"Yeah?"

"… Thank you."

Even in the black ink of night, Roy knew Hughes was grinning. Idiot man. "No problem."

---

Ed winced at the loud tone, but gave Shayla a forced grin. "Guess I forgot about the equivalent trade…"

It was hard to see wit the dim light, but where his left arm once was, now only a bleeding stub remained. A few droplets of blood escaped onto the floor, but most of the mess absorbed into the red jacket. Despite the obvious pain Ed was in, he ignored it as best he could. "Don't worry about it. Once we get back to the realm, my arm will appear, right?"

"Yes, but…" Shayla trailed off, looking ready to cry. "Your arm…" Without another word she grabbed Ed by his bleeding coat, dipping her finger into the blood.

Ed's eyes widened significantly until her realized what she was doing. "Shayla, you don't have to--"

"If I don't you'll bleed to death," she growled. She drew the array on his neck; since that was the only piece of bare flesh she could see. "I can't bring your arm back, but… I can at least stop the bleeding." With that said, she closed her eyes and performed her alchemy with Al still in her lap.

Ed felt alchemy flood his body and stiffened up, ready to deal with some type of pain. Instead a soothing feeling washed over him and the boy relaxed, light dancing in front of his closed eyelids. A second later the sensation was gone, and the pain from his missing arm vanished with it. "Wha…"

"I can't get your arm back, so I basically stitched you up… Your shoulder's healed over." The stump was patched over with fresh skin, all blood that wasn't absorbed into the coat, removed. "You should still get your arm back… hopefully." Her voice sounded strained, and Ed remembered how much energy it took to her to heal him.

"Shayla…"

His friend said nothing. With her head Shayla motioned to the boy in her lap, his wet eyes wide with the almost magical alchemy he'd just seen.

"Al," Ed started, bring his metal arm to rest on the boy's back, "your brother's alive."

"He is?" Alphonse's face whipped upward, moist brown eyes widening with happiness. "He's okay?"

Edward took Al's tiny arm in his hand, pulling him from Shayla's grasp. "Come here. I'll show you."

Shayla watched them both walk over to the suit of armor. She'd already figured out most of the details about what happened to the young Edward Elric, and something told her this wouldn't end well.

Al glanced around the room, searching for the whereabouts of his older brother. He trusted the man's word when he said Edward was alive, but Al couldn't find him. Was his brother hiding? "I don't see him," he whispered forlornly.

"Alphonse, I need you to listen to me." Ed crouched down on his knees so he could look the younger version of his brother in the eye. "Remember when all the light was wrapped around Ed?" The boy nodded. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't get his body back…" Before the child could start crying, Ed hastily added, "but I did get his soul. It's in this suit of armor."

"… You mean… Ed's in the armor?"

"No… He… is the suit of armor." Al's shoulders slumped down, and the ever-present guilt hit Ed full force. "I'm sorry, but that was the best I could do for him. He would've died otherwise."

"… We should've listened to you…" Ed was slightly taken back by the confession, but remained silent. "But we really wanted our mother back… We must've done something wrong…"

"That's not it, Al. Bringing back a human soul requires more than a few drops of blood. Even if you gave up your own life, it still wouldn't be enough." Sighing, Ed placed his metal hand on Al's sandy hair. "And it's okay that you wanted to bring your mom back, but some things you can't change…"

"Is there anyway to bring his body back?" Al asked. Ed sucked in a breath, almost laughing at the irony of the whole situation.

"I… don't think there is…" 'I am a fucking liar.'

This time bringing his face up to meet Ed's, Alphonse searched his face for a reaction and Ed tried to make his face sincere as possible. "Are you sure there isn't? Maybe that lady can help?" Al asked again, his eyes swelling up with tears.

"No, my friend can't bring bodies back. She couldn't even bring my arm back…I'm sorry…"

The dam broke inside Al's chest, and the boy started to cry uncontrollably. Ed let him, tenderly stoking the hair on Al's head. "Shhh. It'll be okay, Al. I know it hurts, but you're gonna have to take care of Edward from now on. He's gonna need you to be there for him." Whether he or Al got stuck in the armor, it seemed Al always got left with the hardest burden. When Alphonse lost his body, he suffered in silence so Ed wouldn't feel as guilty. But now he'd have to deal with an emotionally stressed Ed for the rest of his life. 'He always gets the short end of the stick.' "Al, can you do that?"

Despite the tears, Al's nod was firm and resolute. He mumbled something under his breath, and Ed bent lower to hear him. "Huh?"

"T-thank you for saving him…" Al lifted his head, eyes straying to where Ed's left arm should've been. "You lost your arm in order to bring him back."

"Oh, yeah… well, equivalent exchange," Ed replied, shrugging. "I'm sure you know all about that."

The boy nodded slowly, wiping the salty tears from his eyes and still sniffing. "When will my brother wake up?"

"Oh, he'll be up in a fe--"

"Ed?"

"Huh?" The teen looked off in the general direction Shayla sat. "What is it?"

"… Something's moving toward me…" she stated calmly, tugging urgently at her feet to dislodge herself from the floor, an unidentified lump slowly crawling toward her. "I'm not sure if it's friendly or not, but could you please get me out…" Her voice stained at the end of the sentence when the lump made a low gurgling noise. "Now Ed."

"Shit," Ed hissed under his breath. How could he forget something like that? "Al, don't look. Stay close to Ed, alright?" Hesitantly, Al nodded and moved closer to the huge armor, keeping his eyes shut tight. There was no way Ed wanted the boy to see what a failed human transmutation looked like. 'And I don't even have my metal arm…' "Guess I'm doing this the old fashioned way," he told himself. Quickly he snuck over to where little Ed dropped the chalk from earlier.

Shayla kept her eyes trained on the moving… whatever it was. The only identifiable parts were the jutting bones sticking out, and even then Shayla wasn't sure. If those were limbs she saw, they twisted in unnatural and very painful directions, one in specific bent backwards and facing the back wall. The face was hidden by a mat of long, clumpy hair, with a thin pale chin jutting out. A loud, rhythmic beat filled the shed, and Shayla guessed it was a heart if that were possible. 'It's… alive?' (2)

A low grunting noise emerged from the head, sounding almost like a mournful wail that caused Shayla to shudder. Without her whip she was completely helpless, and she didn't even have chalk to draw an array with. "Ed…"

"Would you be patient?" the teen snapped, already finished with his blood array. As soon as it glowed, the floor turned to mud around Shayla's feet, allowing her to pull them up easily.

The light from the activation startled the creature, averting its attention. Slowly, it changed its course, settling for crawling toward Ed.

"What do we do, Ed?" Shayla asked. "I don't think it's dangerous, but… it seems unfair to let it live like this… if it is alive." Ed didn't seem too worried about the creature, so it was safe to assume they weren't in any mortal danger.

"That thing doesn't have a soul, as far as I can tell… We'll have to kill it." The two stood next to each other, carefully watching the failed human crawl towards them.

"Should I make Al go outside? It probably wouldn't be good for him to see this." The said boy still had his eyes closed, one arm hanging on the suit of armor's right glove. As of yet, the metal giant hadn't moved, and Ed was growing worried. It hadn't taken Al that long to wake up after his soul had been anchored. "Ed?" Shayla waved a hand in front of his face. "Did you hear me?"

"Yeah, I heard. Al." Immediately, the boy opened his eyes at the sound of his name. "I want you to go outside, okay?" Al hesitated, turning to look up at the new body of his brother. "I'll look after Ed." A flash of relief crossed Al's face, and he carefully walked to the door, almost freezing when he glanced at the creature. A lump rose in his throat, the sight enough proof that he and Ed had indeed messed up. The thing looked nothing like their mother.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to it as if to make up for the mistake, then ran out the door.

When sure that Al was gone, Ed walked up to the thing, watching it reach out in all directions. He didn't fear it; it was basically helpless as it was. Instead he felt a fresh wave of grief and shame, remembering many years ago he caused this to happen. But it was the shame of knowing he hadn't been able to stop it from happening again that ate at his soul. "Mom…"

The monster stopped and looked up as if it could recognize the name spoken. It gave another grunt and lifted a sickly, pale hand out to Edward. The teen didn't step back, allowing the hand to touch his metal arm.

Ed heard some shuffling behind him, and a second later Shayla stood beside him again. "Do you want me to?" she asked, gazing at the place where his arm was. She was tired from doing her alchemy, but if Ed didn't want to…

"My fault, my burden." He didn't need to say anything else. With a twist of his arm, Ed freed his limb as Shayla solemnly stepped back.

Ed bent down to his knees, balancing carefully as he drew his array on the floor. Awaiting its sentence, the failed human lay still on the floor and watched the teen.

'Mom… I'm sorry. I just keep messing up, don't I?' Tears prickled at the edge of his eyes, but he kept them at bay. He was done crying. 'They're both sorry now, and they'll have to live with it the rest of their lives…' "… Like we still have to." The array was complete. Ed dropped the chalk somewhere on the floor, the thing's attention averted.

Part of his mind wandered, trying to remember how he did it last time. There hadn't been flames licking at the skin, turning the wailing, thrashing creature into ash. He felt almost guilty that he'd chosen a different method. Deep inside a piece of him chided his trivial shame, insisting that he watch his ultimate mistake die; but his eyes wouldn't focus. It felt like a strange dream where everything was dulled around the edges and thoughts blurred together.

"Ed… it's over." Shayla's quiet voice woke him up from his odd trance. When he looked for the creature, the only thing left on the floor was a pile of ashes.

More words pushed against Shayla's teeth, but she swallowed them. Ed didn't look ready to move from his spot, so she slipped away down the stairs, and into the storm to look for Al.

The boy sat on the muddy ground, staring off in some random direction. The woman couldn't see his expression. "Al?" she called out.

"Is it over?" he asked.

"Y-yeah, it's over." She sat next to him, ignoring the wetness seeping into her pants. "You okay?"

"Do you think my mother hates us?" he asked, not turning his head.

That wasn't quite was she'd been expecting. "Of course not, Al! You just wanted your mother back, that's all. I'm sure she understands, wherever she is."

"It was forbidden, but we missed her so much," Al explained mournfully. "She was all we had… and then she was gone." Shuddering from the cold and something else, Al buried his face in his knees. "And now Ed's gonna be sad when he wakes up because it didn't work." He sniffed back a few tears. "It should've been me."

"If it had happened to you, your brother would be saying the exact same thing." Shayla put an arm around the boy in an attempt to comfort. "You can't change anything now, so you'll have to make the best out of this. Ed's gonna really need you. It's almost like you'll have to be the big brother."

"No," Al whispered. "Edward is the big brother."

"Well… then you can help him by being his little brother, okay?" Al nodded slowly, but still kept his head down. Shayla sighed to herself. There was only so much she could do to cheer him up. 'I hope everything's okay with Roy and Hughes,' she thought, her mind straying. She completely forgot about those two. 'Wonder what trouble they got into…'

"I'm gonna look for a cure," Alphonse declared out of nowhere, his head popping up. "I'm gonna get Ed his body back."

Danger warnings went off inside her head. What was she supposed to say now, especially to that determination? "Are you sure? What if you find out there is no way?"

"At least I tried. I know that stranger said there's no way, but… I don't believe him," he said softly. "He looked really sad and guilty when he lied."

'Sharp kid,' Shayla mused. "Well… I don't think there's anything I can do to stop you." The boy peered up at her, surprised by the lack of opposition. "But I suggest you not tell that man in there, okay?"

"You think it's okay?"

She smiled. "Like I said, if you really want to help your brother, I can't do anything to stop you. And even if I did stop you, it would only make you want to find a cure ever more. So I don't see the point."

Al stayed silent, digesting her words, and then replied, "You're not like many adults I know."

"I'm strange, Al," she said, grinning.

"How do you know my name? And why does that man look like my brother?"

"I heard your brother call you that. As for that man, haven't you heard that every person has a twin?" Al shook his head in response, looking surprised. "Yep. Somewhere in the world, there's someone who looks just like you."

"Alphonse." Ed called out from the house. "Your brother's awake." Immediately Al abandoned his position next to Shayla and ran back inside to greet his brother.

Edward didn't go back. Instead, he walked over to Shayla and took Al's seat. "So what did you say to him?"

"Nothing much… I just tried cheering him up, that's all." Absent mindedly, Shayla picked at the wet grass. "They've got a lifetime of guilt and pain ahead of them."

He could hear the hidden question in Shayla's sentence and he smiled grimly. "They do, but they'll make it."

"… Do you regret trying?"

"I…" Ed was at a loss for words. "I… don't think I have an answer. I doubt I would've met you or Roy or Hughes if I hadn't… but then Al wouldn't have suffered." He sighed, feeling very tired. Shayla's healing had certainly done the job, but his shoulder felt oddly itchy. His nerves still hadn't caught up with the rest of his body, insisting his arm was still there and needed to be scratched.

"Al's gonna go after the Philosopher's Stone," Shayla said out of the blue. "He doesn't know about it yet, but I know he'll find out."

"I know. It was stupid of me, thinking I could keep him from trying to help Ed." Ed chuckled to himself. "He's an Elric."

"He's your brother," Shayla corrected. From inside the house, a loud shout was heard, without a doubt Edward. "Should we go in?" The shout had disappeared, but Shayla felt she should ask anyway.

"No. They need this time alone, and I doubt Ed will want to see me, anyhow."

"True," Shayla laughed. "You're not very popular with yourself." Both she and Ed smiled, some of the tension easing out of the air. Most of the storm was starting to diminish, only a light rain staying behind. The lightning was gone, and only a few rumbles of thunder were heard. "Ed… I have a question."

"Huh?"

"When you… tried to do the human transmutation… you lost your arm and leg, and Al… he lost everything." She took a deep breath. "But this time, only little Ed lost his body, and Al's fine. Maybe a few scrapes and burns. Even in memories, shouldn't the laws of alchemy apply?" In every other memory, it seemed that way. Even the one where she'd lost control of her alchemy…

"I noticed, and that's why this isn't a memory."

"… What?" She must've heard wrong. "What else can it be?"

"You were right when you said they had years of guilt ahead of them," Ed explained, his golden eyes unreadable. "And mine was so great I started thinking of what it would be like if Al had escaped and I had been the one inside the armor. It got so bad, sometimes that was all I could think about…"

"So you're saying this is more like a desire?" Shayla asked. "Or maybe this is actually a dream…"

Ed stared out at his house. "I think so. I kept thinking about it all the time when I was younger, swearing it wasn't fair that Al suffered for something he didn't even want… and how if I had been the one in the armor, everything would be better for him."

"That's as far from the truth as you can get, Ed."

"I know," Ed sighed. "Being here made me realize it. There was no win-win situation in the first place."

"Because you love each other so much. One can't suffer without the other. No matter who gets stuck with the metal body, you both will share the burden. That's just the way you two are."

They both stayed like that, letting their individual thoughts and the recent events wash over them, not noticing the rain stopping.

"What do we do now?" Shayla finally asked, breaking the silence. "What about Ed and Al?"

"They'll go to Winry's," Edward explained. "Pinako will take care of them." The Ishbalan nodded in agreement, even though she didn't know who Pinako was. "We need to find Roy and Hughes, and then get out of here."

"Sounds good to me." Shayla stood up and dusted the grass off of her. "I'll tell them." Before she got far, Ed called out to her.

"Do you want to know anything? About my past?" he asked her. "I know about yours, so…"

Shayla waved it off. "I already know the basics, and there's nothing else to really tell, right? Besides," she explained, walking off to the shed, "it's your business. You tell me when you're not afraid to anymore."

Ed's mouth twitched into a smile. He'd tell her everything when they got back to reality.

---

"Hey, are you guys okay?" Shayla walked inside the single room, shaking off any excess rain in her hair. "You both need to go to Wi-- to a friend's house." Al turned around and shot her a questioning look, but only nodded. 'I hope they didn't catch that.' The last thing she needed was Al or Ed asking her how she knew who Winry was.

"We can go to Winry's," Al said slowly, then looked up at his brother. "Should we?"

"Why?" Ed asked. His voice echoed from inside his new armor body, full of spite and depression. He hadn't moved from his position on the wall, not used to the huge body he now possessed. "They'll probably kick us out for doing forbidden alchemy."

"Don't say that brother!" Alphonse cried. "They wouldn't do that."

"Not to you, Al, but to me. I'm not exactly normal anymore," he snapped, then instantly regretted his outburst. Al looked grief stricken. "… It's not your fault, Al. Don't feel guilty…" Ed let his body slide down the wall onto the ground, the slightly rusty metallic sound bouncing in the air. "It was my fault."

"That was mean, brother," Al whispered, chiding his older sibling. "Aunt Pinako and Winry are our friends. How could you think they would abandon us? And we're both to blame, Ed. Not just you."

Ed said nothing, his metal head turning away. "I--" The boy didn't want to say anymore. Already he'd messed up royally. It was his fault, not matter what Al said. 'I should've listened to that guy,' he said to himself, his pride refusing to let the words hit the air. "I don't know, Al. Maybe you should go." He wouldn't let his mistake weigh down Alphonse. His brother deserved better than this.

"Brother…" If Ed didn't go, neither would Al. His obligation to his brother outweighed everything and everyone else… but even Ed's stubbornness got to him at times. "We're in this together. I'm not leaving without you… but we need to go to Aunt Pinako's. Please?"

Ed felt himself cave in, not able to cause Al so much sadness. "… Alright," he sighed. "But if Winry comes after us with a wrench, I told you so."

That brought a laugh to Al's lips. Shayla only raised her eyebrows, not getting the joke. "Okay then. Off you two go."

"Will you come with us?" Al asked eagerly. Since meeting her, he'd taken a liking to the young woman. "You could meet Winry."

"Sorry, kid. I have to leave now. I just want to make sure you guys have someone to stay with, that's all." Al looked crestfallen, but hid it well.

"Me and Al can take care of ourselves," Ed grumbled stubbornly, his attitude returning full force now that Alphonse was appeased.

"I know, but you'll go anyway. Al wants to go," Shayla replied, knowing full well Ed wouldn't go against his brother's wishes at the moment. "So get going, you two."

Obediently, Al and Ed filed out down the stairs and out the house, Shayla following close behind. Ed's form had disappeared from his spot, only matted, wet grass in his place. 'Where'd he go?…' she thought to herself. Most likely to find Roy and Hughes. Still she was surprised Ed hadn't stuck around to say goodbye to his brother and younger version.

Alphonse talked quietly to his brother for a moment, then turned around and left Ed walking along the muddy road to Winry's. "Miss!"

"Huh?" Shayla stared at Al. "What's wrong?"

"Me and Ed just want to say thank you," he answered. There was a shy smile on his face, one full of hope despite the grave night. "And tell the other Ed 'thank you' too."

"Of course. I'll tell him. Now go on, your brother's waiting for you." With a nod, Alphonse ran back to his brother. "And take care of him!"

She watched them go until they were both out of sight, releasing a heavy sigh. 'I can't wait 'til this is over.' All this hopping into people's personal memories and dreams was tiring, to say the least. Homesickness chewed at her mind, and right then she wanted nothing more than to see her friends. She almost missed seeing Stanford's bastard face, something Shayla never thought would happen. "I want to go home," she whispered to nothing.

"We all do, Shayla." The Ishbalan didn't turn around, recognizing Roy's tenor voice. "And we will. Let's get out of here first."

"Is Ed with you?" Shayla asked.

"Right here." From the back Ed stepped forth. "Sorry, but these guys showed up, and I doubted Ed and Al needed to see Roy twice."

The woman shrugged, whirling around slowly so she could see her three friends. "They just said 'thanks', that's all." Ed's eyes softened, his head moving slightly to let her know he'd heard. "The portal's in the house. It's a miracle no one walked into it."

"Would Al and Ed have been able to?" Hughes spoke up. "They're apart of this memory."

Neither Ed nor Shayla bothered to correct the man about the memory actually being a dream. Not yet anyway… "Don't know, but I'm glad we didn't have to find out," Ed replied. "Let's get out of here. If it's fine with you guys, I'd like to get my arm back."

Roy made a low grunting noise in his throat. "Idiot," he muttered darkly, touching the wound carefully and frowning when Ed's breath hitched, not from pain but from the odd sensation. "I hope it hurt. Then maybe you'll think before you act next time."

Ed gave the Colonel a tired, easy grin. "Keep talking like that, and I'll start to think you care, Mustang." Roy growled again in response, but the worry in his eyes gave him away.

"And here I thought me and Hughes were the ones getting into trouble…"

"What did you do?" Shayla rolled her eyes. "Never mind. Don't tell me."

"Come on, guys," Hughes laughed. "Try not to kill each other yet. We still need to get Ed to his body portal." As an afterthought Hughes also said, "And I'll tell you about our bear adventure later." The look on the woman's face was priceless.

"What did you guys do to a bear?" Ed asked. 'How'd they even meet a bear in this weather?'

"Nothing. The mother bear was entirely too high-strung. We just wanted out of the rain," Roy muttered, glancing at the sky. "Thank God it stopped."

"We'll trade stories later. Let's go guys." Shayla ushered her friends inside the house before anyone could make more conversation.

Inside near the corner of the room upstairs, a glowing orb of light that only Shayla could fully make out twisted in the air. "It's there," she said, pointing to it.

Mustang picked up the unmistakable scent of fire, and his sharp black eyes spied a pile of ash on the floor near a smaller used array. Ed and Shayla pointedly looked away from the sight. Hughes himself saw it, too, but he calmly ignored it. He could sense the sudden tension in the air.

Both Hughes and Shayla walked up first, Hughes going into the realm without a second glance. Before Shayla left however, she quickly turned and made a deep bow toward the ash, mumbling something quickly, and then left through the portal.

If Roy noticed Shayla's strange behavior, he knew better that to ask about it. "Are you alright, Ed?" he asked. The teen was staring at the ash as well, his eyes seemingly misty at first glance. This was undoubtedly hard for Ed.

Ed turned up and gave Roy a smirk, eyes sparkling but dry. "I will be." The Colonel returned the smirk, and they both left the small shed that smelled slightly of fire and death behind.

---

(1) Whoa… movie blast! Anyone know where the 'floor turned into quicksand' thing came from? ;p

(2) Don't look at me like that! I really have no clue what I wrote, but all I can say is I don't remember what the failed human transmutation really looked like. I'm just giving you the messed up version in my head. I can't even remember if it was dangerous…;p

I have some grave news…. TWO PEOPLE DREW FANART FOR ME! (dances in circles and cackles) It's of Shayla, and oh my god! I LURVE them so much! The hair! (dies) Thank you, Angie-chan and adu-achisuto! (huggles you guys to death) I'm still giddy about it! ;p So this chapter is dedicated to them as well! As soon as I post my pictures on my LJ, I'll show everyone. :p

But that was my grave news…. XD If anyone else wants to give me fanart, I don't mind… (wink wink nudge) But let me hurry up and answer reviews (this is gonna take a while…)

Shadow Vampiress- (cackles at her running from Roy) I don't know where I got the Hugs part. All I know is it came to me. :p And thanks for the chapter idea, cause I really wasn't gonna write this. Hope it met your standards! (still cackling)

Morbid Flower- Really? It made you cry? Well, I hope it was a good cry! ;p (chokes on lemons) You'll get your lemon! (drowns)

Shingo-sama- Thanks! Sorry it took forever to update!

Joyce- Don't worry, I don't take offence. Opinions are welcome. And you are right, after a while the whole 'boohoo' past can get annoying. Cliché it is, but I'm glad you can get past that! Thanks for reviewing!

Alchemist X- (bows) I'm sorry for keeping you waiting! This took way too long, I'm so sorry! (begs for forgiveness) This chapter hopefully met your standards, and the next chapter won't take as long! (bows again) Thanks for the email too!

Seeker Carter- Glad you liked Shayla's past! And your lemon is coming, don't worry! (runs from flames she gets) SORRY!

Karia Ithilai- Yeah, I interrelated everyone on purpose. Don't know why, just did. ;p

Soon to be world renown Gracie- (cackles at her running from enraged Ed) Hope you like your chapter!

MeganMustang- (grins) Thank you! And Shayla's past just has angst dumped all over it, yes? ;p

Nightlight Ninja- I'm glad you liked the part with Shayla's mother. That was one of my favorites to write. :p Mr. Hugs is such a cute name for him! (glomps Hughes)

Diamond-princess2006- Another lemon lover! Just wait, you shall have your lemon!

Asaka Kiseragi- (cackles at her running from Roy) I'm so evil… (thinks) Actually, I might need to save you… You are my beta now… (calls out to Roy) HEY! Let her go!

Roy- Like HELL. She's gonna pay!

Bandit- Sanji! Get your authoress!

Sanji- (is smoking) Huh? Why?

Bandit- (sweat drops) Err… Sorry, Asaka! Don't think our muses are in the mood to listen. ;p Oh, and the lemon cookies were delicious! (glomps her and Roy fries us both)

moothril- (eyes plushies) Yes… lemon… You get lemon… (grabs plushies and flees)

arynna- Oh dear… (brain fried) You know what? They could! That's totally logical! I'm not gonna do that, because I think everyone (including me!) would be confused, but that's an excellent point! ;p Thanks for the review!

Nika- (grins) Mr. Hugs rocks! ;p

Angie-chan- (eyes pop out from number of reviews) Gods Angie, I forgot you reviewed so much! No way I can answer them all! But THANK YOU FOR THE FANART! (glomps you) I still love it to death! Your pictures equal love! Oh, and sorry for the sleep you lost reading my story… Fufufufufu…

alchemistgrl09- I'm sorry it took forever to update! (cries) Hopefully this chapter will appease you! Tis good, yes? ;p

Akumako- Shame on you for not reviewing! ;p And parents will do just about anything for their kids. My mom's a living example. ;p Thanks for the review! Made me happy!

Marii- I couldn't have Shayla's mom be that cruel. Yeah, she showed her love in one of the most oddest ways, but it's still love. I just couldn't accept Rhamara as pure evil. Bah, I get very attached to my characters, yes. Havoc and Fury is one of the only pairings I won't put in a lemon. Call me chicken but… (shrugs) They're too fluffy! Oh, and thanks a ton for the review!

MoonLightFight98- Oooo… I like your idea. It's gonna go in the lemon! (cheers and glomps you)

Hehe- I must admit, your reviews irked me at first. It's been a long time since someone has really criticized my story and I thought in truth you didn't like it. ;p I'm only human yes. But later when I re-read them, I realized that's just your opinion and you weren't dissing my story. So I owe you an apology for being an uptight butt head. Shayla probably does have too big of a part in the story, but it's not gonna change. I hope it doesn't bug you too much, though. :p Keep reviewing and critiquing please!

Lacuna Miyamoto- (bows) I'm so HAPPY! And there's no way you could be the proud mom, cause I'm almost 17. (laughs) I hate Mary Sues, but it wasn't too hard making sure Shayla wasn't one. I just made her everything they aren't. ;p Which kinda turned out to be like me, so that made it even easier. (glomps Shayla) I love my OC! Thanks for all your reviews, and you better review again! ;p

Anonymous- (hides in fear) I'm sorry! I totally forgot to warn everyone about the rating change. There's probably still some confused. (blushes in shame) Stupid me… And as for the lemon, it's not gonna be held on this site. If that gets people angry, they'll just have to deal. There will be a lime, but it shouldn't be too long. So you have nothing to worry about! ;p

Uniasus- I love Shayla, but suffer she must for a good fic story! Don't worry, I'll get mine later. (see Shayla coming after her with a whip) And as for her returning Ed and Al to themselves, technically she can, but she's not that good at controlling her alchemy. And all kinds of things can go wrong… so yes she can, but until she learns so restraint, she'd be advised not to. You'll find out about Ed later… ;p

Sori of Chrome Dragon- I'll check out your story sometime. Thanks for reviewing.

A- Well, it didn't come out SOON, but it did come out, right? That's good? ;p

AlibisDragon- You are extremely lucky! I was just about to post this and I checked my emails first, finding your review:p You read this in one sitting! (applauds) Even I can't do that. Bah, I write too much, not that you mind! Thanks for your review!... (stares at your name) I know who you are... (thinks hard) AHHHHHH! You writeStealth:Or Lack Thereof! (glomps you to death) I'm happy when my favorite authors review my storys! ;p

(faints) So… many… reviews! I thought I was gonna have an overload for a moment. ;p Hope everyone liked the chapter, and give me a review! They make me write faster, and you'll get your lemon sooner! (cackles)