Illusion of Bluebird

By Gozilla

A/N: Thanks a lot to all who you have read and / or left a review! Hope you will enjoy this chapter.

Please note that some of the storyline from this chapter (and probably some more in the future chapters) is made reference to the fan-made comic "Memory" by two very talented authors, kier and h2oblue, at http/ kiercat 51 net/ memory/ 00 htm. It is a brilliant comic with excellent storyline. I would like to thank kier and h2oblue for giving me some very good inspiration.

Most importantly: All credit goes to http/ hagaren ocean-x com/ hagaren/ and http/ www ivejournal com/ users/ midnightbanshee/ 3511 htmland to all the people who created this game.

Summary: (Spoiler to Bluebird's Illusion and the TV series) The Elric brothers had finally found the philosopher's stone and Al was finally restored. But there was something wrong with Al's body. Would Ed find the solution in time?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I don't have anything. So don't sue me!

Please excuse my poor English. -

Reviews are most welcomed!

Enjoy!

Chapter 2 – The Military

-Four hours later-

Edward slowly opened his eyes. He felt confused and completely exhausted. He only wished to go back to sleep until a thought flashed across his mind.

Al.

With great difficulty, Edward struggled to get up from the ground. He felt like as if his limbs were filled with lead. But he would stop at nothing.

"Al!" Edward shouted weakly, he could not see clearly as his sight blurred from exhaustion.

"Al!"

But there was no response.

Edward was getting worried. He feared that his greatest nightmare, killing or turning his brother into a monster, could become reality. He shook his head, trying to clear his vision.

Edward looked at the transmutation circle. He felt as if his heart skipped a beat as he saw a human youth with golden hair lying in the middle of the circle. He rushed to hold the youth in his arms and wrapped him with his jacket against the cold weather.

"Al!" Edward urged, "Al, please wake up."

"Niisan?" Al whispered weakly, "What... what happened? I... I feel so...tired..."

"Sleep, Al." Edward said, not noticing a tear escaped from his eye, "Rest, everything is all right. Everything is going to be all right."

Obediently, Al closed his eyes and slept peacefully.

Edward held the sleeping youth tightly in his arms. Feeling the body warmth and heart beat of Al, Edward suddenly felt he was within the blue skies and saw a glimpse of the bluebird...

I have nothing more I can hope for...
I just wish...I just wish we can always be like this --
Wishing all this will never disappear...
I only wish that bluebird...

...won't be just another unattainable illusion.

-Five hours later-

A car stopped in front of the Elric's house. Mustang stepped out of the car, with Hawkeye following closely behind him. Hawkeye had a suit of small sized military uniform in her hands.

Mustang went to the door and knocked on it, waiting for a response.

But there was none.

Mustang knocked again impatiently, "Edward! Alphonse! Wake up! You are going to be late for the promotion ceremony! Don't make me burn the door and grab you!"

It was not long before they heard sound of uneven, sluggish footsteps from the house. When the door was opened, Mustang and Hawkeye were shocked by what they saw.

Edward stood at the door, leaning on the door frame for support. His face was as pale as paper with dark circles formed around his eyes. Edward's golden eyes, which usually filled with sparkles of life, were empty and unfocused.

"Edward, are you all right?" Hawkeye asked, concerned.

"Yes, I am all right." Edward forced a smile, not wanting to draw any attention, "Is that my uniform? Please give it to me and I will get change as soon as possible. Please wait here." Edward did not want anyone to discover the fact that Al had been restored, especially when the both of them were extremely vulnerable after the transmutation.

The military was one of the parties he would want least to get close to Al. Edward was not sure what the military would do to his brother if they found out he was a successful case of human transmutation.

He would do everything to protect his brother.

"You need help with the uniform?" Mustang said with a teasing smile on his face, ready to get into the house, "It is kind of complicated to wear..."

"NO!" Edward snapped, immediately regretting his reaction, "I... I will be fine. Please... just wait here." He said as he took the uniform and closed the door.

Mustang and Hawkeye exchanged a questioning frown, but did not say anything.

Ten minutes later, Edward walked out of the house in his uniform, closing the door immediately behind him. Without saying a word, he got into the car and sat quietly at the back seat.

"Where is your brother?" Mustang asked, "Isn't he coming to your promotion ceremony?" he was suspicious as the brothers always stayed together as much as they could, let alone important events like this.

"He is not coming." Edward said in an extremely tired voice, "Let's go and get this done as soon as possible." And he closed in eyes, indicating that he did not want to talk any more.

Mustang and Hawkeye frowned in confusion. But, knowing the young state alchemist well, they decided to leave the issue. They got into the car and drove straight to the National Theatre.

-20 minutes later-

The Theatre was packed with military personnel from all around the country. There were 6 people who got this special promotion due to the events in Lior and other areas, Edward and Mustang being two of them.

It was natural that most heated topic among the audience was that the Fullmetal Alchemist, being only 17 years old, would become the youngest Colonel in the country's history.

"I have heard that he saved the lives of over 200 soldiers with his alchemy power in Lior."

"They said that the power which consumed the city and the soldier was so powerful that no trace of any remains could be found... completely destroyed and disappeared."

"Then his alchemy power must be really strong."

"No wonder the military is promoting him in such young age. They would do everything to retain such talented person."

Bits and pieces of comments were heard when Mustang and Hawkeye walked passed the crowd. They were starting to get worried as Edward remained silent since they left the house. They could see the young alchemist was completely exhausted, for whatever reason.

Hawkeye had been trying to find out what happened to Edward. But she did not get any response.

A few minutes later, they found their seats, which were in the first row from the stage. They sat and waited for the ceremony to start.

The ceremony was, as usual, long and extremely boring. The senior personnel of the military gave sleep-inducing speeches in turns. It was over two hours before the people being promoted were called to the stage.

Mustang was the first to be called. He stood proudly on the stage when he received the badge of a General from the President.

"Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric."

But Edward did not move, as if he could not hear his name being called.

Hawkeye lightly elbowed Edward. Edward blinked and looked at Hawkeye in confusion. Hawkeye nodded towards the stage and gently pushed him to stand up.

Getting the idea, Edward stood and walked up the stage. He found it very difficult to climb the stairs as his head was spinning and his legs felt like jelly. He swayed to steady himself as he stood in front of the President.

Edward barely noticed that the President shook his hand and pinned the badge on his uniform. He could not hear a word the President said to him. Before Edward knew it, he fell to the floor as his body gave up and blackness overwhelmed him.

Mustang and Hawkeye rushed to the stage. Mustang carried the unconscious young alchemist down the stage and took him to the medical room. He and Hawkeye stood at the bed side when the doctor checked on Edward.

"He is seriously over-exerted." The doctor said, frowning in disgust, "What have you people done to the kid? It is like he had been being harshly laboured for three days and nights straight. I always knew that the military is tough, but it is simply too much. You better let him properly rest for at least a week or you may well kill him." He said as he left the medical room.

"He was all right when we saw him yesterday evening." Hawkeye said, looking at Edward's pale sleeping face, "What has he done during the night?"

Mustang thought about Edward's behaviour that morning and an idea came to him, "I think the answer is inside their house. Let's take him home."

Gently, Mustang carried Edward in his arms and left the medical room. Hawkeye following closely behind him.

-On the way to Elric's house-

The car jumped as it ran over a stone on the road. Edward stirred and opened his eyes. Confused, he looked around and found himself in a car. The last thing he remembered was the smiling face of the President.

"Where... where am I?" Edward asked weakly, barely audible to the passenger sitting next to him.

"Don't worry." Hawkeye said, "We are on the way to bring you home."

"No..." Edward protested. He struggled to get up but fell back to the seat as his limbs were too weak to support him, "I... I am all right. Just drop me at the door... I can take care... of myself..."

The car stopped at the Elric's house. Edward used all his remaining strength to get out of the car and rushed to the door, swaying dangerous.

"You... you can't come in." Edward panted heavily as blackness started to overwhelm him again, "You can't..." he said as he fell to the ground, losing his last grip onto consciousness.

Mustang caught him before Edward hit the ground. Hawkeye looked at Mustang, totally confused.

"I told you that the answer is in the house." Mustang said as he opened the door.

"But Edward said..." Hawkeye was not comfortable invading the young alchemist's privacy, especially after seeing how insisted Edward was.

"How can we help them if we don't know what exactly happened?" Mustang smirked as he carried the unconscious Edward into the house.

"Al?" Mustang called as he entered the house, "Are you home?"

No response.

Mustang went straight to the brothers' bedroom. Although he had suspected it, Mustang almost dropped Edward when he saw, instead of a large armour-suit, a golden-haired youth sleeping in one of the two beds in the room.

Hawkeye quickly recovered from the initial shock and gently stroke Al's soft golden hair, "Al? Is that you?"

"Hawkeye? Why... are you here?" Al slowly opened his eyes with difficulty, confused. Then he noticed Mustang putting Edward on the bed on the other side of the room, "Niisan? Is... is he all right?" Al said weakly, worried.

"He will be fine." Hawkeye continued to gently stroke Al's soft hair. Knowing that the younger brother was probably as exhausted as the older brother, she comforted Al, "Don't worry. We will take care of you two. Go back to sleep."

Too exhausted to argue, Al fell asleep in no time.

Hawkeye carefully tugged the blanket under Al. She turned to see Mustang finished changing Edward from the formal uniform to night dress.

"He made it." Hawkeye said as Mustang laid Edward on the bed.

"They made it." Mustang corrected, pulling a blanket over Edward.

"What should we do?" Hawkeye asked, meaning how to explain the whole incidence to the military.

"What should we do?" Mustang said as he showed his infamous smirk, "Do we have to do anything for a youth who is finally tired of wearing an armour-suit everywhere and decided to take it off for good?"

Hawkeye looked at Mustang with amusement and smiled, knowing that her superior was protecting the brothers.

"Then, what should we do?" Hawkeye asked, this time, meaning what they would do with the brothers. She was deeply concerned with the conditions of the brothers.

"Send someone to bring food here and keep an eye on them." Mustang said as he looked at the brothers and turned to walk out of the room, "By the way, Hawkeye, I remember that you still have clear your annual leave from last year, right?"

Getting the idea, Hawkeye smiled and said, "Yes, I would like to take a week off from tomorrow, General. I will hand in the application form first thing tomorrow morning."

"No need for that." Mustang said as he left the room, "It is already approved."

"Thank you, sir!" Hawkeye saluted.

End of Chapter 2

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