Disclaimer: see first chapter.

A/N: I've been trying to stay on top of this. I'm busy with classes though. We'll see if I finish this before the years through. Anyway, theme five, enjoy.

SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE MOVIE, ESPECIALLY THE END OF THE MOVIE, AND OF COURSE THE ENTIRE SERIES, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

Obsidian and Gold

Theme Five: Homeland

He'd run another car into a tree.

"How many is that now brother?" Al asked, trying to sound innocent.

"Shut-up," Ed shot back, staring at the car. The front was a mess and because of that the entire thing was unusable. Steam and smoke rose up from around the crushed engine. He'd done a fantastic job this time.

"What do we do now?" Noah asked. She glanced up at the road, maybe hoping to hear another car or carriage. They hadn't passed a town in miles.

"I guess we walk," Ed offered. Noah nodded reluctantly and began to lead the way. Alphonse glanced at his brother but said nothing.

The boys trailed behind, following Noah's flowing robes in the afternoon breeze. Al kept giving his brother questioning looks. He knew Ed's mind was elsewhere even before they hit the tree, and he was pretty sure he knew what it was.

"Brother…?" he started to say, but suddenly Noah stopped and waved at a truck that was coming down the rode. The boys stayed put in the ditch, watching as the vehicle slowed down and stopped near her. Ed stared at the driver, a man who reminded me strongly of an Ishbalan who used to kill State Alchemists.

Noah waved them over then, and the three of them climbed into the back of the truck with all the other wayward travelers. Al lagged behind his brother, still hoping to get his brothers attention so he could talk with him.

The truck rolled away and the slight jostling of the people made the brothers bump shoulders. Noah was seated behind them on a bench while Ed and Al sat at her feet. Al again glanced at his brother, sighed, and then said, "How do you suppose everyone in Central is doing?"

It took Ed a moment to answer. "They're probably fine."

"And Winry? I bet she's mad…"

"She'll get over it. It's not like we had a house or a family to return to anyway."

Al looked carefully at his brother then, noticing that there was once again a far off and sad look in his brother's eyes.

"I bet Mustang misses you."

Ed jerked. "Yeah right," he mumbled softly. Al couldn't help but give a soft smile. "He's probably busy cleaning up the mess in Central, which he'll most likely blame on me anyway. He'll probably also blame the gate on me, too."

A silence settled for awhile. Al looked up at Noah and wished he had her ability to read people just by placing a hand on them. Ed was so difficult and withdrawn, and Al still lacked some of his memories. He remembered some things though, like the way his brother used to look at the Colonel (although, Mustang hadn't been a Colonel for years), how his brother would claim he'd fallen asleep at the library and that's why he was home so late (or early - he rarely made it home before the sun came up). Ed may have been absent from Al's life for a couple of years, but Mustang had not, and that man had been unable to hide a few things from Alphonse's perceptive stare.

"Do you think he actually managed to close the gate on their side?" Al finally asked.

And for once Ed was silent, going for long seconds without one of his usual retorts. He looked like he was struggling to think of something to say. Finally, he turned away from Alphonse, and Al almost swore he heard his brother say, "I hope not."

But in actuality Roy Mustang had, and afterwards he had told Hawkeye he was taking a train east and would be gone for a few days. She saluted, and told him that she had heard the weather was pleasant in Risembol.

And there he stood, with the Rockbell house in the distance behind him, far over a few hills. Roy could still hear Den's faint barks as he surveyed what remained of the Elric home. The tree nearby was burned so much that only one side of it still sprouted leaves. A few weeds and patches of grass were able to resurrect themselves among the debris after all these years.

He thought to himself that this is where it all started, the journey the two of them made, and now it had ended so far away from their homeland. The brothers had paid a price for everything they had done, but redemption had been given, and at least they were together again.

Mustang scratched beneath the eye patch, thinking of the irony in their lives, and how he'd at least gotten to see Edward one last time.

A/N: Okay, ow, I'm going to go cry now. --shoos off readers-- Go review!