Bwahah. Third chapter. It's the same bland crap you're used to, don't worry about that. Ah, and We've changed Our penname. Fits a little more now. xD Also, sorry for not updating sooner! Case of writer's block that wouldn't go away.

Review replies:

Linx: xD We just think he's cute. Plus Our Ed Kitty is pretty intense, too; what with the fur and all that. xD

Enpowera: Actually. His name is both Al and Aru. Obviously you haven't watched the Japanese version, as Our dear Taisa points out. In it, his name is pronounced Aruphonse, instead of just Alphonse. Plus "Aru" prevents writing "all".

Taisa: We can tell. xD

Yes! IDEA.

Awww. That's nice of you to say. But really, We don't think We're that good. Taisa's lots better than he thinks. nuzzle

vampirelf: Ah, a second review! xD You're here again! 3 Hah, maybe he is, with Our Roy on the case. xD He's a little weird. But Aru's holding back! He's not going to kill his poor nii-san. xD

Fang: Why thank you. But really, it's not that good. xD

Disclaimer! See, We didn't forget this time! We don't make any money off FMA. We wish We did, but We dun. We also don't own Chrono Cross, which is the quotes for the dividers this time around. And Riza came up with the tail-radius thing.

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The first thing Roy did was to pull out a clipboard, which he placed on the table. Ed peered over at it, trying

to read the Taisa's squished penmanship upside down. It was too messy, and he couldn't. "Jeez, you have a bad hand," he commented, trying to fill the empty silence. The quiet attitude Roy had taken on kind of creeped him out. Usually, the colonel had something to say. Now, though, he was silent. Strange as it was, Roy didn't seem to see anything different. Obviously his mind was buzzing.

"Maybe I do," agreed Roy finally. "You try mindlessly scrawling your name on bits of paper for hours on end, you see how long you can write nicely. You don't have such good handwriting yourself, I might add."

Ed rolled his eyes. "Worse now."

Which caught Roy's attention slightly. He nearly asked why, but then.. he realized. Ed was lefthanded. Which meant that his handwriting would be bad to start with, and now it'd be even worse, considering the fact that he had a paw to write with now. And Major Elric was not ambidextrous. (It wouldn't matter anyway; they'd already called for a wrench-throwing, hotheaded mechanic. Also known as Winry Rockbell. So Ed wouldn't have even a metal human hand for long. Ed didn't need to know, of course; he'd hide under the covers at his dorm if he knew she was coming.)

"So," said Ed, "how does this go on, exactly?"

/What was the start of all this/

Roy blinked. "Impatient, aren't you?" Which resulted in a scoff. "Well, I presume you're covered in fur, right?" A nod. "You'll need to take off your shirt, first of all -" He was cut off then.

"So you can look at me?"

A derisive laugh. "You wish, Fullmetal," (he'd obviously slipped back into "Fullmetal") "you wish. Actually, I expect you're bruised by the way you shot awake when your brother woke you up, correct?"

Why did Roy have to know everything? Edward just nodded, though. "Yeah. Don't know how I got those."

A scribble on the clipboard. "Go on, Fullmetal," instructed Roy with a smirk. He was cut off again, though. Jeez, was Ed so impatient he had to cut in everywhere, interrupt everything the Taisa said? Calm yourself, boy, Roy nearly spat at him, to interrupt and make his feelings on this particular subject known to Ed. But he kept quiet, not wanting to miss any important information that the boy might spit out at any time.

"I can't," was the bleak reply.

Which made the colonel lift an incredulous brow. "You can't." It wasn't a question. "Why not?"

"I can't manage with my arms like this."

Oh, for the Gate's sake. "You mean I have to do it?"

"Most likely."

Roy groaned, then stepped over to the table. "Come here, Fullmetal." This didn't seem like such a good idea to Ed. Who knew what Roy was going to do to him. But it was an order from a superior commander, obviously, the way he was speaking to the younger catboy. So he had to, or be rebuked. But he didn't have any good comebacks on hand. So he let his pride drop and scooted over on the table.

And so it was that Edward Elric was half-undressed by Roy Mustang. Under protest, mind you.

/When did the cogs of fate begin to turn/

They'd done a few different examinations. Ed's body had been covered in bruises, so much that he was like one large one. After Roy had noted this on his trusty clipboard, he'd gotten Ed to get up and put his weight on his paw-foot instead of his automail one, to measure him. He'd measured up to… three foot one. A full two feet shorter than he had been, to the horror of the elder Elric brother. (Roy hadn't even told him how small he'd become; he just said he was smaller. Ed had taken a fit.) Roy had measured the length of his claws, the radius of his tail, all that stuff, and noted it down. Ed wondered why, really. (Roy would later add these into Ed's official file; he didn't believe there was any way to change him back. There wasn't, of course. Ed didn't need to know that, he'd be horrified.)

Suddenly, Edward's ears twitched, and he looked up to the ceiling. "Your phone's ringing."

"Is it?"

"Yeah. You might want to go get it."

Roy lifted a brow, then shook his head. "No, that's fine. It's bound to be Maes asking me for film again."

"Does he do that a lot?"

Ed's questions rather surprised Roy. He seemed to genuinely want to know what was going on. Roy didn't know why, but he figured it was something to do with being half-cat. Ed hadn't been curious about things like this before, but... it would make sense now. So he'd disregard it. Possibly answer.

"That's none of your concern, Fullmetal."

Ed looked crestfallen, like he'd really wanted to know. Most likely cat instincts again; Roy didn't care, but it was something to think about. Suddenly he remembered something, and looked to his small subordinate. "Your mechanic was supposed to come fix your arm and leg," he informed him.

Ed froze. "You're... you mean Winry?"

"That I do."

"You called Winry." Ed sounded incredulous, like he wouldn't believe it till Winry walked through the door and gave him her customary beating with her wrench.

"I did. Well, not really me," Roy admitted. "It was First Lieutenant Hawkeye."

"It doesn't matter who did it, " Ed informed him. "It matters that you called Winry, and not some other mechanic. Do you have any idea what Winry's going to do to me when she sees me?"

"Hug you?"

Ed scoffed. "Hardly. She's going to beat me, Mustang, and it'll be your fault."

/Perhaps it's impossible to grasp that answer now.../

After that, Ed, Aru and Roy had left the house, Ed stumping along dutifully beside his brother instead of being carried. He obviously wanted to leave. They'd gone back to HQ, where Winry would be coming. Ed sat in the corner of the couch, ears pinned back against his head, tail limp, and shivering slightly. He didn't like the sound of Winry coming to see him. At all. Of course, not only good things come to those who wait.

There was a knock at the door, and immediately Aru grabbed on to his brother's tail as the owner of said tail gave a squeak and attempted to dart over the side of the couch. "No, nii-san," said Aru sternly, "she's going to see you anyway."

Edward gave a sigh of defeat and settled back down beside the large suit of armor. "Fine.."

Havoc had gotten up to open the door for Winry, who was standing there in her usual black skirt and white tank top combination. She was standing there in a pose the occupants of the room took to be impatience, and she had her suitcase in one hand and a wrench in the other, leaning it against her shoulder and tapping it every once in a while. "Where is he!" she demanded.

Once again, Edward gave a squeak. Aru gave him a slight pat to calm him down, but it didn't have much of an effect. Winry, on the other hand, approached Aru and moved him over forcibly to peer down at the nervous catboy. "Ed!"

/From deep within the flow of time../

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Lulz. Done. It's a crappy chapter, but... We wanted to be finally finished it. Sorry again that it's so short and that it took so long to come out with..