A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I've gotten really great comments and that really motivates me to do my very best and update as soon as a I can. After one reviewer wondered when Ed and Al would come in, I decided to make this chapter sooner than I had originally planned. I actually think it works better placing this chapter here anyways. I just hope I was able to keep Ed in character...

Disclaimer: i don't own FMA

Ch. 4: Images in the Smoke

That night, Edward Elric once again dreamt of the Gate. These dreams really weren't that unusual for him, quite the opposite really, for he had had many dreams of the Gate since coming to the other world.

However, this dream was turning out to be different for there was, what appeared to be, a dragon statue in it, strangely enough.

Another thing he noticed at the start was the colors. This dream wasn't dull like they usually were. No, this dream was full of vivid colors, the likes he hadn't seen since his life in Amestris. The Gate pulsed with an eerie violet light swirling in its cloudlike depths, while other colored lights flashed around in random intervals around where Ed stood.

The dragon statue sat on a stone step at left side of the base of the Gate, its back to Ed. The strange balls of light reflected across the statues back, flashing sparkles against the dark stones of the gates support. Its scales were like winking stars, its bat-like wings were extended to their full length and Ed caught his reflection in them.

His own amber eyes stared back at him from the mirror like metallic back of the dragon and he blinked in surprise. The picture was vague at best, and was like looking at things through a metal bowl with his features widely distorted.

Ed experimentally moved his head to the side, looking as the image of himself elongated and narrowed at his movements. For fun, Ed made a strange face, sticking out his tongue and pulling at his bottom eyelid. His reflection looked so ridiculous he couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter, which echoed numbly throughout the strange dream place.

The blonde shivered at the hollow sound, but seeing something from the corner of his eye he quickly froze in place.

Had the statue just moved?

Ed peered at it warily, golden eyes alert and suspicious before widening in surprise. His reflection rippled and swirled on its own as if it were nothing more than water.

Kneeling before the dragon, Ed watched with fascination and wonder as he saw the statue's surface visibly shiver. The statue, which Ed believed was actually a statue less and less now, flexed its back which was causing the reflection to shift and be replaced by another image altogether. Yet, this image wasn't all that different for his own amber eyes stared back at him once more.

Ed's eyes widened in fear as he realized it wasn't the present him that he now saw, but instead a younger version of himself. His hair was a darker golden blonde than it was in the world he now lived in, and was pulled into a braid. His face was fuller than it was now; his face was leaner now, having lost his baby fat now that he was older.

His mind reeling, Ed finally was able to recall why this image looked so familiar. It was a photograph Winry had taken of him, with his reluctance of course, on one of his visits to get his automail fixed.

At first, to his chagrin, she had told him that getting his picture taken every time he visited would be a good way to map his growth. That hadn't seemed like a good enough reason for him however, and had promptly sent him into a tirade about him being 'so short that he had to be looked at through a magnifying glass to actually be seen'.

Seeing how that move hadn't quite worked, Winry tried a different approach, which promptly sent Ed on a guilt trip.

"You hardly visit, Edward. At least I'll have a picture so I don't forget what my best friend looks like."

Needless to say he had allowed her to take his picture after that. Ed felt how he had treated Winry would always be a sore spot on his heart.

Now it was too late to even try to repent.

As Ed watched the scene in the dragons back, he saw the image get smaller. Presently, he could make out other photographs on a small round table. There were pictures of him, of Alphonse, of an old woman Ed immediately recognized as Granny Pinako, and a picture of a smiling couple with blonde hair which Ed knew were Winry's parents. To Ed's complete and utter horror, he also saw a picture of Roy and his whole military posse, which included: Hawkeye, Havoc, Fuery, Breda, Armstrong, Farman, Sciezska, and even…Winry? In a military uniform?

Impossible. He had obviously been mistaken because that was something, he was sure, that would never EVER happen.

The scene moved from picture to picture as if something was looking at them which was then shown on the metallic back. Something was in Winry's house looking at her pictures.

This really was a strange dream!

At once the room spun and faced a different direction showing a bed where someone slept fitfully.

Someone with long platinum blonde hair.

Someone Ed knew had the brightest blues eyes he had ever seen, and ever would see.

Someone Ed had been thought he would never see again.

But there she was, somehow, and Ed felt this was turning out to be the best dream he had had for a long time.

She looked different, Ed noted, more mature, older looking.

Beautiful.

Ed blinked at that thought, but then decided it was a fact he, and virtually any other man, could admit freely.

For some reason, her face looked worried, her eyebrows were knitted together and beads of sweat were forming on her forehead, which caused Ed to worry helplessly.

When he saw her curl into a tighter ball, gripping the covers with a pained expression, he unconsciously clenched his hands into fists until his nails dug into his palm on one hand. His other hand was unaffected however, because of his prosthetic arm. He wanted to call out to her, help her, do something, anything, but he couldn't even be sure that this was even real!

A word formed on her lips, and sound erupted into the gloomy space Ed sat in, causing his heart to stop. The sound resonated over and over inside and out, echoing in his ears and striking his very core.

"Edward!"

Her voice had sounded so fearful, so desperate that Ed's heart clenched painfully.

"Winry! I'm here! It's me, Ed!" Ed cried desperately into the abyss, but no reply came.

Quickly getting angry, Ed abruptly stood and yelled, "What the hell is this! Why are you showing me this? As some kind of torture!"

To his horror, tears stung the corners of his eyes, but he willed them away as anger and frustration bubbled up in him.

Without thinking, Ed's already clenched fist drew back and sprang forward in a punch. It would pay for showing him such things. How dare it show Winry to him only to find he couldn't do anything to help her, to let her know he was there.

Centimeters from impact on the dragons back he stopped his fist and looked on wide eyed.

That time, he was positive it had moved. The creature had turned its head to the side to look at Ed. Smoke was billowing from its nostrils in fine white puffs. It stretched its shoulder blades and ruffled its wings as if stretching. This action caused the image of a now peaceful Winry to disappear, and Ed felt empty that it was gone.

Turning his attention back to the dragon's face, Ed watched the trail of smoke spiraling lazily higher and higher. Now the dragon turned and faced him fully, its wings folded up to rest across its back. Its ruby eyes regarded Ed suspiciously at first, narrowed to small slits, its head cocked to the side.

When it had seemed to make up its mind, it stretched its neck out and retched a large puff of smoke from its long maw.

The smoke shifted, and swirled and formed a strange shape. Looking harder, it became a human head, a girl, with long hair, bright eyes, and a pleasant, happy face. Ed knew it was Winry he was seeing once more, and he was glad to see this time she was smiling and even waving.

More smoke joined the Winry cloud, and this took on the shape of a dog, which the Winry cloud began to pet fondly. Ed smiled at the sight of the lovable dog, Den.

After a few moments of watching the smoke Winry and Den, their images began to drift apart and fade until they were no more.

With a soft, flinty roar, the dragon released another plume. This smoke was red and thick. Blue lightning glinted in and out of the cloud, but couldn't actually escape it. The dragon moved, but Ed was paid it no attention for he was too engrossed with the forming image. This time it spread out to form a circle.

Ed's pupils dilated in pure horror.

It was a transmutation circle, with trademark lines fanning out to crisscross over the center to the outside line of the circle. It was different than any Ed had seen, however, for in the middle the lines formed a complex image. It was a frightening image, and Ed felt his body tremble in fear. It was an ugly snake-like creature that seemed to reek of evil.

Ed wanted to run, wanted to look away, but found he could do neither. His heart beat wildly against his chest as fear gripped him and held him fast.

All he could do was stare; stare into the empty eyes of the creature.

But they weren't empty, not really. In them, Ed could see his every fear, his every mistake, his every dark thought displayed. The creature could read everything, and it grinned, showing long, jagged teeth. Ed was losing himself, his very soul to the creature, and yet he still couldn't look away.

He was going to die. He was going to be taken by the thing.

A hole opened up below him. Pale hairless creatures began grabbing at him, trying to drag him away into the darkness. From above, the head of the creature extended out from the circle, its slimy, slick tongue was reaching out to him like an appendage.

Ed tried to cry out but couldn't. He was helpless, so helpless. His body was numb as the creatures below tugged at him, their tentacle like ropes attaching to him. His body went limp as he gave himself up to his fear and quit his pointless struggling.

An angry shriek from the dragon filled the space of the void and fire burst from somewhere, tearing through the circle above him. With a soundless screech, the snake and circle were ignited in a fiery blaze and Ed felt himself released from the creatures hold on him and saw the pale creatures below fade into nothing.

In a final attempt, the creature's smoky tongue flailed and lashed out at Ed. It was inches away from touching him when a white plume confronted it. Brandishing what looked very much like a wrench, drove the image away completely. The smoke image of Winry turned to Ed grinning in triumph, and with a final wave and wink, dissipated.

Climbing down from its perch, the dragon crawled over to the Gate. It gave Ed a final glance over its shoulder before entering the Gates swirling chasm and was gone.

With a final dazzling flash of light from the Gate, everything in Ed's vision went white and he slipped away back into a dreamless sleep.

This chapter creeped me out quite a bit as I was writing it. Poor Edo! Anyways, thanks for reading! Reviews would be lovely!

Next Chapter: Melding Future: Winry confronts Roy about what happened, hoping he has some idea of what to do. However, his plans for her aren't exactly what she was expecting.

-Miss Soupy