Most say that when you are face to face with death, you become oblivious to everything around you, unable to comprehend the gravity of the situation. But those who say that are wrong. Everything becomes sharper, more vibrant through your senses. Maybe it is because you'd never noticed how beautiful and precious life was until it in itself was on the line. Or maybe you were taking everything as a last view on life. Whatever the reason, my surroundings filled my senses, almost overwhelming me with their wickedly sweet sent of life as final farewell.

I was exhausted from nerves as spasms of panic would come and go with the full force of the oceanic tides, causing me to forget to breathe in until I threatened to pass out. Gasping for air, however, often earned me greedy looks from the demons that held me prisoner and the others who continued setting up their strange ritual.

The one that frequently gave me hungry eyes was the fat, pudgy one they had called Gluttony, who licked his licks disgustingly, revealing a tattoo of a snake biting its own tail off encircling a star. I noticed through my unusually sharp eyes that Envy had one on his back left thigh, and on the breast of the scantily clad woman (Lust, they had said).

Memories blurred my mind, acting as a sedative in my moments of terror, playing in a silent film. Lynelle and her lover wrapped in each other's arms—General Soldato (what I referred to call my father) sentencing her to a life of marriage to Shou Tucker—the wedding—Derrick, my twin brother, as a child, reaching down from a tree with his hand extended—my bones being set in from a nasty fall from the tree the same day…

I smiled. Derrick often was one to get me into trouble.

Carmen and my mother's faces took place of my reeling wheel of recollections. These two women had cared for me since birth, more than any other person I could think of. Carmen, my nurse and teacher, and then my mother, a woman whose features shined brilliantly in my memory, the picture I chose to remember before sickness had worn them down. Recovering barely, I often wondered whether it would've been more merciful to let her die instead of wither like a lingering flower.

It had been them who had taken me to Church and showed me the might of God. Inspired and in awe, I had quickly become a regular in their long walks to Church on their offering days and mass. Before long, I had grown and was able to make the trip in my spare time, to my Church… my sanctuary.

A blast of cool night air stopped my reveries. The sun seemed to have made its final farewell as I looked up to see a star-studded velvet blanket above, the moon (not yet full) slowly beginning its lazy cycle.

Envy approached me shortly after my observation, smiling in the newly lit firelight. Grabbing my chin, he forced my eyes to meet his. Trying to return his lustful stare with a hardened glower despite the panic I was trying to fight down, I straightened my spine and sat with as much dignity I could muster, watching his purple eyes roam carefully up and down my body, stopping at all of the measure places.

"It is time flower, although I wish I could have a little fun before we part. But that does not mean I cannot have a final performance. Such garments are not fit for such a delicate blossom, why don't you remove them before my fingers… accidentally slip."

Offended and feeling the last remains of my mental barriers slipping, my fear took a violent turn to hate. Hate for this demon that looked on me like I was meat, hate for Edward and his gang for taking me away from my home, and hate for the rest of the demons who watched just as greedily.

Most say that when you feel a deep hatred for a person it is like red-hot spike being dug into your chest and needles seething through your mind. I felt no heat, however, but an unbelievable calm. I hated him so much that my body drew back on itself, picking out each movement carefully.

Standing up and breaking his hold on my chin, I slapped him across the face. Then, like a reflex, my knee came into contact with his stomach. Time slowed as he doubled over, and all sound was blocked out as my feet, driven with some invisible force, rushed out of the enclosing circle.

My mad rush through the forest did not register in my mind, driven back into a more primal state, nothing occurred to me save one thing: survive!

The next thing that I could distinguish clearly was a short drop off into rapids. It was at this point I had noticed a thorn in my foot. Momentarily stopping to remove it, I froze as an all too slipper voice said behind me: "Well my fiery flower, you are trapped." Whirling around, I stared in horror at the band of demons, which did not look at all winded from the long distance I had run.

My heart slammed into my ribcage, threatening to break its own barriers, my breath was quick but labored. Adding the fact I had nowhere else to run, it was time—

"—to die," said the plainer of the two women bluntly, finishing my thought.

Envy took a step towards me…

And I took a step back…

…and fell into the turmoil of rapids only a few feet below.

All at once life became vibrant again. Cold water enveloped my small frame; my last vision of the forest world was Envy smiling at me. Shivering more from the memory then numbing water, my situation became more real as my lungs burned for air. Struggling to get above the boiling water reflecting with moonlight, I felt my arms move sluggishly through the numbing water. However, my struggles were soon rewarded with a desperate gasp of clean air before I was immersed once again by a wave of ice.

The turbulent waters thrust me into protruding rocks, causing my numb nerves to jump. Surfacing for only a few gulps of air, my body seemed to be pushed to its limits, my skin loosing all feeling. Bobbing up and down helplessly I felt my strength waning.

Ironically, I wondered how many times I would face the Reaper before he became merciful, thinking how his trademark scythe would be welcome after all of this.

However, before the Reaper claimed me after I passed from the hands of the stampeding river, the water mellowed enough for me to grab hold of a rock, gasping for air and shaking from exhaustion. My dress was threatening to fall off my small frame; heavy curtains of knotted hair fell plastered to the sides of my face. I thought I was crying but I could not tell my skin was so numb.

Through bleary eyes I saw a low reed covered bank, and as if in a dream, I let go of the rock and drifted like a helpless leaf, feebly gripping the reeds and pulling myself to the muddy bank. Collapsing with half of my numb face pressed against the cool mud, I felt every last bit of strength leave me.

I don't know how long I lay there, struggling to stay awake and feeling the beginnings of hypothermia set in, but was jerked out of my dream-like state as an all too familiar foot sloshed down in the much in front of my face. Fear made my muscles involuntarily tense.

Unsure of whether I was being pulled up by my dress or neck, I was soon brought up face to face with Envy. Not capable of returning his look of lustful contempt, I felt my senses continue to move at a sluggish pace.

"Ah, ah, flower," he said. I was so tired and numb that I barely registered what he was saying. He raised a hand and I flinched, though I knew I wouldn't be able to feel any blow at this point. Instead he ripped the front of my dress, and my ears filled with his poisonous laugh. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a smirking Lust.

"D-damn y-y-you t-to hell," I spat in his face, not caring if I died, all rational thought gone. All I wanted was to fall asleep. Envy stretched a perverted smile across his face.

"I've already been there, flower—"

He stopped at my horrible pet name, his unnaturally purple eyes widened and dilated and collapsed, and I followed a half a second later. My sluggish senses took a moment to take everything in as I found myself once again, half of my face in cold muck. I was shocked that I could feel it, the numbness wearing away to a painful sensation that tingled up and down my entire body.

Looking into Envy's open dull eyes, I paled and skidded away, only to take in the sight of the corpse with a hole for a stomach. Breathing hard, the world coming back to full view, I looked up and stifled a yell through difficulty. Edward, the Fullmetal Alchemist, stood over the carcass, what would've been his right arm a sharpened sword.

(A/N: In this story, they can die by wounds like that.)

Hearing a blood-curdling screech, both my and his attention drew over to Lust, who stared distraught at the body of Envy. (Her lover, I guessed.) She threw out her hand, but it didn't stop at arms length. I watched in horror as her fingers extended into sharp needles, aimed directly at Fullmetal.

Unlike me, he must've expected this and in a bright flash of blue light had an arm back (a metal one) and ducked, a few strands of gold hair suspended in the moonlit night. With inhuman speed Edward was behind Lust, and another flash of blue light tore off a good part of skin on her side. (She had dodged at the last moment.)

I sat up, slowly, trying to hold the remains of my dress to my shivering body. Unfortunately, this caught Lust's eye. Fingers extended I was pushed the much and reeds until my back was to a tree trunk, her fingers on either side of my neck.

"Damn you," she whispered to me, "Damn you. It's your fault he's dead," her pale face was now inches from mine, "It's your fault he's dead!" she screamed. "And you," her voice dripping with contempt as Lust turned her head to a glaring Edward, her black curls flailing, "you will pay, first I'll kill her and then… then I'll kill you!"

A strange sensation came over me, like I was no longer inside my body but watching this from another point of view. I saw myself pinned against the tree with Lust only a foot away, and Edward eyeing Lust with hatred, his metal arm (now transformed into a large blade) itching to move.

The scene unfolded like a rehearsed play: Ed lowered his makeshift weapon, and in a flash of blue light it was a normal arm again. Lust sharpened her fingers, giving them a dangerous glint in the dying moonlight.

I saw myself moving to touch the dangerous blades that caressed my throat, and gripping one with my left hand. (This would be odd as I am right handed.) And then I did something that took everyone, including myself, by surprise. My grip hardened, blood began a steady flow down my wrist, and I dragged her blade away from neck enough for me to slip out.

Ignoring the burning sensation of the cut, I was now back inside my body, watching Lust's amazed yet burning eyes, but I had accomplished what my over all plan had been: a distraction. A flash of blue light played out at the edge of my vision, and blood spilled as a metal spike drove into the woman's hand. Screaming, she lashed out in anger, causing her to become predictable enough so the Ed could duck and strike again. But this time, she was watching and dodged, causing only a deep scratch on her left cheek.

In moments she was several feet away, but Ed had moved closer to me so there was no hope of recovering her bargaining chip. Releasing a stream of curses, Lust disappeared from the bank, leaving Envy's corpse along with us.

"You're shaking."

Startled, I was no less than surprised at Ed's simple comment. Yes, I was shaking, but I did not hold it up to him to care or even notice. I was still struggling to hold the remains of my dress against my numb body, my wet hair clung to my skin, and I could barely walk two steps any more. Going for the benefit of the doubt, I nodded to his blunt observation, and was surprised when I dimly felt something being draped over my soldiers.

Glancing over, I saw that he had removed his red coat, mumbling small thank yous; I hugged it around my small frame too tired to regret thinking how nice it smelled. And then, as if to top the coat, he asked: "Can you walk?"

When I shook my head, Ed maneuvered himself so that his back faced me, crouching a little; he held his arms a little back. Confused at first through fatigue, I fell onto him, letting and I wrapped my arms (now protect by his coat) around his neck and feeling him lift me off the ground.

Murmuring thanks into his ear, I let myself drift between the world of dreams and the world where the sun broke free of its night prison. I made it mom, I thought blearily, I saw the sun's birth when I thought it wasn't possible. God sent me an angel.

Too tired to be surprised by my own thought, I glided into a dreamless sleep as the sun painted its beautiful colors across the sky in celebration.

xXx

The author speaks…

Ed returned to the camp with you fast asleep. Laying you down and wrapping you within his coat, he turned toward Hughes and checked his forehead. Finding his friend just as he had left him, Fullmetal continued to the fire, where he sat watching his two charges for an entire day. Then you awoke…

xXx

"How long have I been asleep?" I asked awkwardly, unsure if our somewhat civil conversation had turned back toward insults.

"A day," was the short answer. I let go of a breath I had unknowingly held, it wasn't civil but at the same time it wasn't barbaric.

Then the length of time I had been unconscious hit me. A day! An entire day wasted! Clenching my fist in exasperation, my thoughts stopped as soon as I felt a foreign material. Looking down at my left hand I raised an eyebrow of surprise at the bloodied bandage. With very little other options available, I looked at Edward who refused to look in my direction.

"Why did you—?"

"What I did was in no concern for your safety. That band had been growing cocky so I decided it was time to knock them down off their pedestal. The fact that I cam just in time to save your sorry ass was in no way other than a lucky coincidence," his tone was a little less than harsh.

"There are clothes for you to change in by Hughes."

I tightened my lips, feeling the beginnings of a retort growing on my tongue, but then, as if blown away, it disappeared. Feeling my expression soften, I even attempted to smile as I said: "Thank you. Even if you didn't mean to, thank you… for everything," adding the last part as I made a gesture with my bandaged hand.

Grunting, Ed gave a pained expression before dissolving to a light chuckle. I was shocked. This had not been any of the reactions I had expected.

Unable to think of a way to react to this, I stayed quiet. It was not long before he gave an explanation.

"To think that a weak woman like you," he chuckled under his breath, "stood up to the Sins."

Confused, I asked why.

"Because," he said, his chuckles transforming into a genuine laugh, "next to my band they were the most powerfully influential bandits to the government."

At first unable to say anything, I started laughing as well. So much in fact that I doubled over and had to hold my splitting sides. It is strange how something that once terrified you, can make you laugh so hard you cry as if you had heard a humorous story instead, but as I fell to my knees and my cheeks threatened to fall off my face, I felt refreshed and something else that I couldn't quite put my finger on… relieved perhaps?

xXx

After the moment had passed, and Edward and I had gone back to a more respectable silence, I moved to my patient and was surprised to find him awake. True he had been awake before, but his eyes were always dazed, like he never knew what was going around him. Now he looked at me with all the recognition of an intelligent man, and he was smiling.

"You must be my guardian angel," was the first thing he said, and I blushed. His smile never faded as he drew his eyes back to the ceiling of the cave. Silence stretched over and I quietly dabbed his fore head and checked his wounds. I had changed into the clothes provided for me and Ed continued to sit outside.

Somehow, I could not help but something had changed: with him, with me, and with Hughes. A storm was coming; I could feel it.

"You look so much like your mother."

I froze at Hughes's comment. Panic began to set in. No one was supposed to know!

"Don't worry you're pretty little head, I will not tell Edward," he patted my hand that had frozen over his shoulder wound. "I should have thought before speaking, but you do look so much like Kioko. She was a beautiful woman."

He was whispering, but I could feel every word resonate within the cave.

"You knew my mother?" I whispered back, so afraid that someone would over hear this.

Hughes nodded. "I did have a life before this exile. That war," he grunted, "It ruined so much more than you could realize—" He glanced back at me, and then turned away. "I shouldn't talk of such things…"

"I know a few things about the Ishbal war, it was devastating to everyone," I whispered, remembering my grandfather's teachings. (I avoided the ones with alchemists.) "It started when the military shot a child. The civil war turned into a bloody affair, the military was forced to hire—" I stopped. But Hughes quickly picked up the loose ends.

"—Human weapons: alchemists. You don't need to lecture me on what happened, I lived through it."

"But you're not an alchemist!" I almost yelled. Glancing quickly to the entrance, I lowered my voice and whispered, "Why are you in exile?"

Hughes smiled. "Do me a favor sweetheart and reach into my pants pocket and pull out my wallet."

Mystified by his request, I pulled out the wallet and handed it to the injured man who somehow won me over with some invisible pull. This man, however, also knew who I was. It was something that could not be discovered.

"This," Hughes said, holding out a photo of a women and child, "Is, or was, my family."

I looked at the picture closer. The woman smiled that smiled back at me was beautiful with short-cropped hair holding a smiling girl with straw colored hair and olive green eyes. Taking in a short breath, I recognized my friend Elicia.

"That's Elicia, my only child," Hughes struggled to point out what I already knew. Then he moved to the woman, "And that," his grimace softened, "was my wife, Gracia. She died after the war…"

"But-but was she an alchemist?"

Hughes shook his head. "No. She was killed because…" he grunted as a spasm of pain passed through when I gave it pressure, "because, I was fighting the rebellion."

"Rebellion?"

"After the war, the government decided that the alchemists were a threat and would easily climb to power, so they started spreading propaganda. Propaganda that I am not proud to say I had a part in.

"Determined shove the 'human weapons' under a rock, they went through any means: blackmail, discharge, and murder. However, it wasn't until I actually had to sentence my best friend to be exterminated that I changed. I began spreading propaganda again; only this time it was the truth! I was able to save many of the alchemists you've met here.

"We used my house as a shelter and for a while it worked. Until someone ratted us out—" Hughes sucked in a sharp breath as I spread a stinging solution on the wound. After a few labored breaths, he returned to his story. "—and the military set fire to my house. We lost a few good people in that fire… including my wife."

My heart broke as the man's eyes expressed a grief that I had not yet experience: the death of a loved one. It is not something that I would wish on any one. I let myself drift from my work to place a comforting hand on his. He gave me a pained smile.

"I was lucky in a sense though," Hughes continued. "My daughter, Elicia, survived. She's about your age now. We left her on the steps of a monastery with a letter stating her name and birthday and other trivial facts. How I wish I could see her again… just once… before…"

Hearing his voice drift off I started. "No! You're going to heal; you're going to get better! Hughes, your daughter lives, I've seen her, and she's a beautiful young woman!"

He smiled. "Hush child, don't fret. You've done the best you can. Don't blame yourself, and if it makes you feel better, you've given me the best gift any father could ask for."

xXx

The author speaks…

The next morning, Maes Hughes died…