Wow, it's been awhile since this one had an update, hasn't it? Sigh. Oh well, at least I finally updated it...and at least this story's finally nearing it's conclusion. (Yes, sad, I know. No one ever likes to see a good story end. At least, I hope it's a good story, hehe.) Anyway, hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: In the concern for environmental awareness, this chapter's disclaimer will be recycled from the last chapter's. Go back and read the previous one, as I will not post it here today.

Ed slammed yet another book shut, sending dust flying everywhere, and then placed his head in his hand and sighed. He wasn't getting anywhere, and he didn't have much time. The way his life had been, as well as how reckless he naturally was, wouldn't allow him to live very long if this stone continued to take a piece of his soul every time he got himself hurt.

Just then, Al walked into the room and set a glass of orange juice in front of Ed. "How are you doing, Brother?"

Ed sighed and rubbed his temples. "Not so good. I can't seem to find anything that can help me figure this stone out."

Al shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant. I meant how are YOU doing?"

Ed lifted up his head and looked into Al's face. It was clouded with genuine worry. Had Al noticed how tired he had been getting lately? Yes, he probably had. Al knew him too well. He would definitely notice if his energy wasn't lasting as long as it used to.

"I'm…a little tired…but I'm fine," Ed finally said.

Al pulled up a chair and sat down by his brother. "How tired are you?" Al placed his hand on his brother's shoulder and looked into his eyes, trying to decipher his physical and spiritual condition somehow.

Ed returned Al a slight smile. "Well, I'm tired enough to want to go to bed, but I have too much to do to bother with that right now."

Al stood back up and looked his brother squarely in the eye. "If you need to go to bed, Brother, then you're going to bed, whether you like it or not." Seeing the look on Ed's face at this statement, Al explained, "That stone could take a piece of your soul away to heal you from hurting yourself with sleep deprivation, you know. We can't afford to let it do that to you. You're going to bed, understand?"

Ed grimaced a bit, but managed to disguise it as a chuckle. "I'm not THAT tired, Al. I'll be fine, really. I just need to stay up for a bit to continue my research, and then I'll go to bed, okay?"

Al bent over so that he was at eye level with his brother. "I'll let you stay up under one condition." Ed raised an eyebrow and continued looking at Al, so Al continued his speech. "If you're really not as tired as I think you are, then you'll be able to resist if I try to force you into bed. If you're strong enough to resist me, you can stay up. Otherwise, it's sleepy time for you, got it?"

Ed wanted to smack Al right then for talking to him like he was a little kid, but he never would have acted on that desire. This was his little brother, after all. He probably would've let Al get away with murder. Ed smiled in spite of himself, and said, "I've never that weak, Al."

"Prove it then." Al grabbed Ed's arm, and before he could react, Al yanked him out of the chair he had been sitting in. He then slapped his hands on Ed's back and thrust him in the direction of the bed, Ed still too dumbfounded to react, since Al's movements had come a little too suddenly for him.

Before he knew it, Al had thrown Ed down onto the bed. Ed tried to get back up, but Al placed his hands on Ed's chest to keep him from doing so. "Brother, if you can get away from me, I'll let you stay up."

"I don't want to fight you, Al," Ed said wearily.

"So, you say that you're holding back on me?" Al said with a tone of mischief in his voice. "That's fine with me, if you want to stay in bed. If you don't win the fight, you're not getting up. I already told you that."

An irritated look spread over Ed's face. This had been slightly amusing at first, but now it was just getting annoying. He began to struggle and flail against Al, but it was all to no avail. Al really was strong…or maybe Ed was just weak. No, he couldn't be weak. Al was just really strong.

Finally, Ed gave up, and he sank his head back on his pillow, gasping for breath. "Al, will you just leave me alone? I'm not a child, and you're not my mother. I'll go to bed when I'm good and ready to."

"And lose part of your soul in the process, no doubt," Al said as he sat down beside his brother, since Ed was too tired now to try and get away from him. "Brother, you should just admit that you're weak right now. It would be better for everyone around."

Ed closed his eyes. "I'm not weak, Al, just tired."

Al scoffed. "In the current state you're in, I doubt that you could even outwrestle Winry."

Ed opened his eyes again and glared at Al. He understood Al's concern for him, but that last comment really hadn't been necessary. "Seriously, Al, I'm fine. I wish that you'd stop worrying about me so much."

"I wish I could, Brother," said Al, soothingly, "But I'll always be your brother, and it's a brother's duty to worry."

Ed smirked just a bit, and then closed his eyes. He didn't have any more will to fight. He was asleep almost immediately.

Al sighed and stood up. He turned and gazed upon the peaceful form of his sleeping brother, and choked back a sob. He wished his brother wouldn't fight so hard. It was only causing him and those he loved pain. Couldn't he see that? Al shook his head, and then grabbed a blanket off of the nearby chair, and covered his brother. "Sleep well, Brother."


"So, how is he doing?" asked Colonel Mustang as Al entered his dorm room.

Al shook his head sadly. "Not good. He can't even fight against me anymore."

"But didn't you always win in fights against him?" asked Roy as he cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes," said Al, "But not that easily. Brother was always a worthy opponent…but now…" Al bit his lip to keep from letting out a sob. He didn't want to start crying again. He'd cried enough lately. He didn't need to start up now.

Colonel Mustang sighed. "I'm so sorry to hear that. Your brother has always been quite a fighter, and really strong too, I might add. It pains me to see him like this. Just understand that we are all doing the best we can."

"I understand, Colonel." With that, Al sank down to a chair. He couldn't hold back his tears anymore, so he just decided to let them come out. They needed to come out sometime, and it was better that it be in front of the Colonel than his brother.

Sometime later, when Ed finally woke up, Al and Roy were both in his room, sitting in chairs beside the bed which Ed was still lying in.

"So, what are you doing here?" Ed said bitterly to Roy.

Roy stifled an amused chuckle. "I see that you still have a lot of spunk in you. That's a good sign."

Ed sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I wish that everyone would stop worrying and fussing so much over me. I'm fine, really. I don't like to see people worrying so much."

"I understand that, Ed," said Colonel Mustang, "But you are not fine. The sooner you admit that, the better. You are growing weak because you keep losing another part of your soul to that stone. Everyone is worried that you're going to disappear before anything can be done."

Ed didn't respond. He just continued to stare at the ceiling. He seemed quite bothered by this whole situation, which it was hard to blame him for, since he'd always had to be the strong one for Al's sake. Now he was the weak one, and Al and Roy had to take over. Needless to say, it was hard on him when the tables were turned against him.

"Remember when I was nothing but a zombie?" Ed finally spoke, apparently reminiscing. Roy fixed a stare on him for several moments before responding, as he wanted to choose his words carefully before answering a question like that.

"Of course I remember, Ed, how could I forget? You had possessed me, after all. One doesn't forget something like that very quickly." Ed laughed, but didn't say anything in response. Good, Roy thought, this subject might be something I can use to get him out of this frump he's in.

Roy cleared his throat. "Of course, you weren't a very good zombie." Ed shot him a questioning glance. Roy smiled, and then continued. "Everyone knows that a good zombie will chase people around, trying to eat their brains. You never tried to hurt anyone, so you weren't that great of a zombie."

Ed started giggling at that thought. Hmm…him eating people's brains? The thought had never even crossed his mind before then. "No, I suppose that I did give zombies a good name, didn't I? I'm so terrible, spoiling their reputation."

"Yes, it is terrible, betraying your fellow zombies! Of all the nerve! No wonder you were kicked out of their society and resurrected. You were giving them all a good name, and they weren't about to take that kind of treatment." Roy's eyes twinkled with amusement. He could tell that this silly talk was working. Maybe only a bit, but it was getting Ed to stop feeling sorry for himself.

"I seem to buck the system no matter where I go, don't I?" Ed laughed, and was accompanied by the other two men in the room.

"Yes, you do, Brother," said Al, placing a hand on Ed's forehead. "If you keep that attitude, you'll get through this just fine. Just make sure to take care of yourself in the meantime, so that those close to you don't worry, okay?"

Ed looked at Al and smiled. "I can see when I'm beaten. Fine, I'll try to take better care of myself, but that means that you have to stop worrying. Equivalent Trade, got it?"

Al folded his arms in front of his chest. "That's something kids say. You know there's no such thing as Equivalent Trade." He chuckled under his breath. "Besides, I'll worry if I want to."

"Oh, what a lame excuse!" Ed shouted as he grabbed his pillow and thrust it at Al, causing all those in the room to laugh.

"I think he's feeling a bit better now," said Roy amidst his laughter.

"Yep, I'd agree," said Al, picking up the pillow and taking a good look at his brother, who had a very mischievous grin on his face at the moment, "He's feeling just a little better."

Hope you liked the chapter. Please leave me a review if you want me to update soon. Thanks!