DARK LIGHT-

He felt tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. He knew that the note was probably being discovered at this very moment. And he would have to be stupid to think that he wouldn't be chased after.

But he didn't care. Now was the only time he could do this. If he were to wait for his rescuer to come find him, he would be stopped. And that could not happen.

He had to do this now. He couldn't afford any hesitation. Not after all the work and pain he went through to get here. He would make things right again, even at his own expense.

Another line, another section complete. The grey eyes flickered to him and told him to stop. But he paid no heed.

With a glimmering shine to his soaked eyes, he moved onto the next circle. Each step was harder for him to take than the last.

Why now, at this moment that he had been dreaming of did he wish he could stop? Why did he wish that someone was holding his hand?

He could not wait for that someone to arrive.

"I'm sorry Roy."

Another piece of the array was done.

'Darkness spilled into the light, overtaking it in its path.'

' "Come back…" He whispered into the chilled hell of night.'

'The haven of light moved further and further away until it burst.'

'Along with it flashed a last desperation of gold. And then, all was still.'

Roy shook his head out of the horrid dream that he had unfortunately remembered. He knew very well what it symbolized. Something was going to happen to Ed. The gold he'd seen was unmistakably matched to the eyes and hair of the rebellious Alchemist. And that 'something' would occur if he didn't get there fast enough.

A gut wrenching cough spewed forth from his lips and tore through his small frame. As much as he dreaded to admit it, he really did need that medicine.

'Now come on Brother! It doesn't taste that bad. Bedsides, the doctor in Risembool said you needed it.'

That bastard Envy had tried to keep him alive by feeding that stuff to him. This would show him. Edward only hoped that it wouldn't kill him first.

The stenches of the blood littering the floor only made his desire to lurch grow higher. He was lucky to have left it here.

Roy was coming, he could feel it. So with a last will of strength he completed the final array.

It was time…

Mustang was momentarily glad for his previous insight to make a side stop at the automail shop. He'd thought that the girl there would know where Ed was, and surprisingly, he had been right.

'He came here a while ago, asking for the key to his old study. You have to stop him! He said 'goodbye' to us. Ed only does that when something really bad is gonna happen!'

This so-called study lay in his sights now. Roy could only hope he wasn't too late.

A horrid smell which hadn't graced his nostrils in years met the Colonel as he plunged into the darkness. Blood painted everywhere, on walls, the roof, the floor met him. Every line connected to an enormous array held above Roy's head. And it took his awed brain a moment to realize that it was already glowing faintly.

Fear gripped his while he trudged past the stacks of books and research papers, all related to Human Transmutation. All except for a lone file with the array he had witnessed throughout the house visibly drawn.

The text Roy briefly glanced at was unfamiliar in his bank of knowledge. But the blood curdling scream from the next room sent him in a panic as he stumbled to get there.

Ed stood in the center of a section from the array, hands pressed to a blood soaked chest. His once golden strands lay limp and marinated with cold blood. The Colonel couldn't stand to see it.

"Ed!" Roy sharply shouted over the roar of Alchemic energy that had been summoned. A weak body turned to face him and stared at him with dull eyes.

"Don't come any closer." The whispered reply seemed as defined as a full fledged Elric yell. Roy stopped in his tracks.

"Full Metal, what the hell are you doing?" Mustang desperately attempted to keep some of his calm, superior façade. However, no one had managed to shatter him as Ed did then.

"I'm making things right. You told me yourself you'd give anything to have Hughes back. I owe it to both him and Al. If I had figured out the truth earlier, neither of them would have perished."

"But I'm sure Al wouldn't want you to sacrifice yourself to bring him, let alone anyone else, back from death!" Some surprise actually bled through Edward's face. "That's what you were planning, was it not?" He received no answer. "Well damn you Edward Elric if you think I'll let you get away with that!"

Roy moved forward, without looking back. He would nip the bud of this madness before it had the chance to flower. Harshly, his gloved hands grasped Ed's shoulders and gave a shake. "Don't you realize what your death would do to me?!"

Edward recovered from his lapse in awareness and proceeded by violently shoving Mustang away from him, out of the array. "I have to do this. I have to give back the life I took."

"Wait…" Roy found that he could not move. Paralyzed by the darkness.

"I think I love you, you bastard…" The pain filled voice echoed in his ears. And the pure, bright light was engulfed by the darkness.

"EDWARD!"

Roy saw no more.

AN: I know it's short, but hey, it's better than nothing! Only one chapter left folks!