Well, after reading the reviews for chapter one all I have ta say is…thank you! I'm glad you all are enjoying my story, I hope it's not going too slow by this point though. I hope you all enjoy the next few chapters as much as ya did the first one. But as I do often I'm rambling, so I'll just get started.
Chapter Four: Shadowy Nightmares
That night had to be the worst night ever experienced by everyone. Edward experienced the worst of it, he had come down with a horrible fever. He was as pale as the dead and was still trembling uncontrollably. The others where taking shifts keeping an eye on him even though his condition didn't really change.
"Brother? How are you feeling?" Alphonse asked, it was his turn to watch over Ed. Edward put a shaky hand over his forehead and replied,
"Under the circumstances I actually feel fine, but…you don't look so good Al, what's the matter?"
"Well…" Al didn't look his brother in the eye "It's about you know what…"
"I…I see…" Edward turned over onto his right side and put his hand on his left shoulder. Al gave him a worried glance,
"Have you noticed…anything? Like…signs of…you know." He asked, Ed just pulled the blankets up around himself and didn't say a word. Al just sat back in his chair and waited, he could tell his brother wanted to be left alone.
Winry soon walked into the room and went over to where Alphonse was sitting, he had fallen asleep. Edward was asleep also, Winry tapped Alphonse on the shoulder, he jumped slightly and looked around. When he spotted Winry he just sighed and stood up,
"Oh, it's just you Winry…" Al muttered.
"It's my turn now so you go get some sleep ok." She said sitting down in Als' chair, Al just nodded and hobbled away to his room, he was still worried but he was really just too tired to be able to do anything. Winry sat in the chair for at least fifteen minutes before she noticed Ed was trembling more then normal. She got up and tried to roll him over only to find he was burning up.
She backed up for a moment then rushed off to the kitchen to get some cold water, when she got back though he seemed fine again. Winry sat down again puzzled, the water battle she had was now sitting on the floor.
"Go away…" Ed suddenly muttered, Winry frowned and replied,
"So, you're awake? Well I'm not leaving so…" she stopped, he was still sleeping.
"Stop it…leave me alone…" Eds' hold on his shoulder grew tighter now. Winry tried to get him to stop, she managed to get him to let go of his shoulder only to have him grab her wrist. Ed had a death grip on her wrist,
"Ed, let go of my arm…" Winry snapped "Hey! Wake up!"
Ed's POVThe shadows again…from a year ago…could it be my darker half? No…not yet…it was something else. I couldn't place it, the shadows…it wasn't just around me, it was everywhere. Slowly but surely I could feel it eroding down my soul, so…this is what happens when someone is doused in Red Water.
What's that? Someone…is walking towards me? Who? No…wait…it was a…portrait! Was I seeing properly? Or had the darkness eaten away my sanity? No…it was indeed a portrait! I reached out to touch it…WHAT? A…a ghost just came out of it! Nearly took my hand off! It then vanished…that's good.
Clank…clank…clank…
What was that? I looked around…Al? It was a suit of armor…no…not Al. It had no head! Its stopped now…just standing there…I dare not go near it…something about it wasn't right. It too vanished like the ghost portrait.
Grrrr…
What now? These shadows…what where they! I regret turning to face the next creature…a large brown and fanged bug. It was running right at me! It wasn't stopping! It jumped high…high into the shadows and came down right in front of me! It kicked me right in the ribs casing me to fall backwards…the weight of its' foot on my chest was very unpleasant. I tried fighting it off…nothing…what the hell was this thing?
Rrraaaarrrr!
Aaaaaaaaggggghhhhh!
--
"Brother! Wake up!" Alphonse had dashed into the room now after hearing all the commotion, Russell and Fletcher had come down from their rooms as well.
"Let go of my arm Ed, that's starting to hurt!" Winry said trying to pull her arm away. Russell rushed over and tried to pry his grip loose, Edwards' death grip had gotten stronger and Russell failed to get him to let go. He had a very panicked expression on his face,
"Stop it…go away! Leave me alone!"
"Wake up brother! Snap out of it!" Al started to shake his brother now, Ed only lashed out and shoved Alphonse away still ranting in his sleep,
"Damn…leave me alone! What are you?"
Getting rather fed up with this Russell grabbed Ed by the front of the shirt and shook him,
"Edward! Wake up!" he snapped, Ed now let go of Winry and lashed out at Russell punching him square in the face with his automail arm. Russell staggered back slightly letting go. By this time Ed seemed to come too, he looked around shocked.
"W…wha…what's going on?"
"Brother?" Al was a little hesitant to get too close. Ed just looked around the room for a moment trying to recollect what had just happened.
"Those…monsters!" he then looked down and around then grabbed his shoulder again, Ed was shaking again…pale as a sheet he had a very frightened look on his face.
"Are you…alright Ed?" Winry asked, she was rubbing her wrist slightly because it was still a little sore.
"No…I don't think…I am…" Ed replied. Al took a step forwards and asked,
"What…did you see?"
"Monsters…a ghost portrait, a headless suit of armor, a giant bug, one had thousands of eyes…all watching me," Ed was wringing his hands now "And…a reaper…a grim reaper…" this last one made him go even paler. Al patted his brother on the back and said in a sort of comforting way,
"It was just a dream brother…a bad dream, we should all try and go back to sleep ok?"
Ed shook his head, he didn't want to go back to sleep…not with the shadows waiting. Not with the monsters…no…he mentally vowed not to sleep again. Of course about twenty minutes later he was asleep again, Alphonse and Winry both agreed to watch him at the same time. This way they could keep a better eye on him, just incase this whole incident happened again.
Then next morning, everyone was up and about doing their own thing. Edward was outside sitting in one of the lemon trees, Alphonse and Winry where sitting just below the same tree. The Tringum brothers had gone into town to get some things and Belsio was off somewhere, they really didn't know where though.
Ed was leaning back in the tree looking out over the landscape, he was still feeling rather miserable and the Red Water was taking its toll on his physical strength and his ability to stay awake. His memory wasn't doing so well either, that very morning he'd forgotten where he put his boots. Ed was starting to drift off into a short catnap, he was soon dreaming again…the shadows. Only, it wasn't just shadows this time, he was in a maze…a labyrinth.
Edward found himself wandering around the labyrinth for what seemed like forever, every so often a brief shadow would run across the wall. He didn't pay much attention to it…the shadows, he learned, seem to hide things he can do nothing about.
A large green monster jumped out of the wall, it had sharp claws and nine beady red eyes, Edward backed up against the wall…not again…the monster lunged at him. The very moment it would have collided with him, Ed woke up…he was lying on the ground. Al and Winry where looking at him worriedly,
"Wh…what happened?" Ed asked.
"You fell…right out of the tree." Winry said.
"Brother? Is it the mark?" Al asked.
"I…I don't know…" Edward sat up and looked at his hands "I…really don't know. I think it may have something to do with it, now that the seal is gone. But I also think the Red Water has something to do with it."
"Are you saying, the Red Water and the mark are reacting to each other?" Al asked.
"I've never seen creatures like them before…Al, Winry?" Ed looked up at Al and Winry "I think…they came from beyond the Gate."
"What?" both Winry and Al said.
"I know it sounds crazy but…Al you remember when you asked me if the Gate could go other places right?"
"Yeah…"
"It's possibly you where right…it just might…" Edward said, he had a somewhat strained look on his face, sort of like he really didn't want what he was saying to be true but there was undeniable evidence that said otherwise.
"Brother, you may have hit your head…you should lay down." Al said.
"You guys…I didn't show this too you before but…" Edward pulled up the front of his shirt and showed them his stomach "That's what the Red Water is doing to me…"
The water had started to dye his skin red, but not just randomly, the red spots where in distinct sort of patterns.
"They look like tattoos…" Winry muttered.
"Now that I've got your attention…I think you where right Alphonse…I think the Gate does go other places." Edward said putting his shirt down. Al was looking at his brother quizzically.
"Brother…how do you know for sure?" he asked.
"I…I don't know…why not try it?"
"What?" Alphonse shouted.
"Why not? You're the one who wanted to know remember! Besides…the other side might have a cure for this Red Water…or something…"
Alphonse and Winry looked at each other, then at Edward who was looking at them. Both looked at the ground thinking all of this over,
"Brother…as crazy as it sounds…if you think they have a cure for the Red Water then I'm with you. Besides, knowing you…you'd do it anyway." Al sighed.
"I'm going with you two," Winry said "Someones' gotta make sure you two don't cause any problems or get yourselves into serious trouble."
"Winry, I don' think you should…" Ed was interrupted
"Edward, I'm going too…" She was giving him a very threatening look.
"Fine…" he muttered. Things are going to get rather unpleasant…Edward could feel it.
-To Be Continued-
Weeelllll, this chapter sorta leads to the three of them getting to Millennium World, I like this one and I'm going to stick with it but…tell me if you think I should have worded this differently. But anywhozles! Read, review, enjoy! Heheheh, I'm gonna have some fun with this one…heheheh…I said that about my FMA/HP on and look where it is now…oy…writers block on that one T.T.
(And no I don't enjoy torturing Edu-kun! It's just really fun and really easy! Ed: Hey! Me: (evil laugh))