Illusion of the 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.

Special Thank: I would like to give my special thank to Hitokiri-san for beta-ing my story and correct my messy English! Thanks a lot!

Credits: Please refer to the previous chapters. Again, many thanks to the BBI team, kier and h2oblue! You are the best!

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 7 – Bad to worse

-The next day-

The brothers finished their breakfast quietly. Al tried to find out what had happened to Edward's arm, but his brother was determined not to continue with the issue.

Edward quickly finished the breakfast and left home. "Don't worry, Al. I will be fine." He gave an assuring smile to Al before he closed the door.

Al washed the dishes and was ready to put them back to the tray as sharp pain assaulted him. He fell to the floor as his legs failed to support him, curling tightly as he fought against the strong pain.

The pain faded away after a few minutes, but Al felt as if it had persisted for several hours.

Slowly, he sat up and leaned against the wall, panting heavily. A layer of sweat covered his forehead.

'This is much more severe than the last one.' Al thought as he struggled to slow his breathing, 'What... what is happening to me?'

"What do you mean by that!" Edward shouted as he shot up from the seat, "Mustang! Are you trying to pick a fight!"

"Calm down, Colonel." Mustang said leisurely, ignoring the youth standing in front of him, who was shaking slightly in anger, "but look at this report. It looks like it had been roughly drafted on a train trip."

"What do you expect me to give you when you've requested me to complete 10 reports in a day!"

"Fullmetal." Mustang said, a teasing smirk on his face, "You are now living peacefully with your brother. How about putting in more effort in your work and give me some more readable reports?"

Edward was so angry that he did not know what to say.

"OK, enough of this nonsense." Mustang put down the report, "Go and get me the files for the third street murder case."

Edward stormed out of the room in anger, leaving Mustang smiling teasingly in the office.

-In the Library-

Edward searched futilely for the files from one bookshelf to another.

'I've just read them yesterday.' Edward thought in annoyance, 'I am sure I put them somewhere around here. How come I can't remember a thing about where I have put them.'

Edward found that he could not remember a lot of things recently, despite the fact that he had always been good in memorising things. He reached up high for a shelf and heavy dizziness hit him. He fell to the floor on his hands and knees, squeezing his eyes tightly as he felt the world whirling around him.

After a few seconds, the dizziness faded away and Edward put a hand over his forehead, which was burning and covered with sweat.

'What's going on...' was Edward's last thought before darkness overwhelmed him.

"General," Hawkeye said as she walked beside Mustang along the corridor, "I am not sure about it. But it seems to me that Edward is not behaving normally today. He kept forgetting things all day. It is not like him at all."

Mustang kept silent.

"I tried to ask him if something is wrong." Hawkeye said, "But he just won't tell. I am worried that he might not have recovered fully since... since that day."

Mustang said nothing, but suddenly he turned back and walked towards the library, where he had sent the young alchemist to fetch the files.

"Colonel Elric?" the librarian said, "Oh, the last time I saw him was in the 'classified cases' section over that area. But it was about half an hour ago. I don't remember seeing him leaving afterward."

"Thanks." Hawkeye said to the librarian as Mustang walked straight to the section where Edward was last seen.

Mustang walked along the section, searching for any sign of Edward. It was not long before he found someone lying on the floor in a row near the end of the section.

Mustang rushed to check on the person. He frowned deeply as he saw Edward's flushing face.

"Fullmetal!" Mustang called, trying to wake the youth.

No response.

"What is going on, General?" Hawkeye heard Mustang's call and rushed to the scene. She was shocked to see Edward lying still on the floor.

"We have to get him to his home." Mustang ordered, "and call a doctor. He is running a high fever."

Al was surprised when someone rang the door bell. It was too early for his brother to return home or for Hawkeye to visit them. He opened the door and was shocked to see Edward lying unconscious in Mustang's arms.

"Please bring niisan to the bedroom." Al led the way quickly. He waited until Mustang had settled his brother on the bed and covered him with a blanket. Al anxiously checked on his brother and found that he was having a high fever.

Immediately, Al went to the washroom and brought a basin of water to the bedroom. He wetted a clean cloth and placed it over Edward's sweat-covered forehead.

"What... what happened?" Al asked.

"We found him unconscious in the library." Hawkeye explained, "We have called a doctor and he is on his way to here."

"Thanks."

"Al, has your brother told you anything about his health condition?" Mustang asked.

"No... why? Is there something wrong with him?"

"We don't know." Mustang said, "We hope that he has just over-worked."

Edward woke up to find himself lying on his bed. The room was lit and it was night time. Confused, he found that he could not remember anything on how he had got there.

'I remember that I was in the library looking for some files.' Edward thought. He felt as if a cloud in his mind was preventing him from thinking straight.

"Niisan, you are awake."

Edward turned to see Al standing at the door, with a pack of ice in his hand. Edward winced as Al placed a towel over his forehead and put the pack of ice on it.

"How are you feeling?"

"Hmmm... I am fine." Edward lied. His whole body was sore and he was totally exhausted. But he did not want to make Al worry about him.

"Liar."

"What?"

"I said you are a liar."

"Never call your brother a liar." Edward said in slight annoyance.

"Then stop lying."

"Lying about what?"

"The doctor said that you should feel exhausted and sore as you are running such a high fever." Al said, his eyebrows in tight knot, "You lied when you said you are fine."

Edward looked at his brother in surprise. It was rare for Al to lose his temper like this. Knowing that his brother was just concerned about his health, Edward smiled, "Yes, I lied. My whole body is sore and I feel completely exhausted."

Al smiled back. The brothers knew that the anger between them had dissipated.

"What happened?"

"You fainted in the library." Al explained, "General Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye found you and brought you home."

"Oh."

"So, what happened to you?"

"Maybe it is a flu or something." Edward said causally, knowing that the fever must have something to do with the wound on his arms. He felt like the wound was on fire. But he would not show it to his brother.

Al was quiet.

"Al?"

"Niisan," Al said in a sad voice, "promise me that you will tell me if you are not feeling well."

"Don't be silly."

"Promise me." Al insisted.

"OK, OK." Edward said, defeated, "I will try my best, OK?"

Al smiled as he handed a glass of cool water to Edward. Obediently, Edward drank the water and fell asleep.

End of Chapter 7

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