Title : Whispers of a Nightmare

Genre : Anime/Manga

Category : Full Metal Alchemist

Disclaimer : Nope, this one belongs to someone else as well.

Summary : Takes place after the incident with Nina. Something's wrong with Ed, and Al just can't quite figure out what it is. Serious situations and angst ensue.

Warnings : Angst, mild language, violence, and other issues that shall go unnamed for now. I don't want to give away too much of the plot just yet, now do I? ;)

Rating : T

Chapter 2 : Cherry Red Skies

It was still raining the next day, lightning splitting the sky in two, thunder echoing through his ears; as well as the voice that met him on the other end of the line.

"You've been there how many days now, and another victim shows up?" Roy Mustang's voice cut through the silent air, the blonde alchemist not even bothering to retort. "I didn't send you there to have fun, Full Metal. I sent you there to do a job, your job! Or did you forget again? Do I have to come out there and remind you?"

The one-sided phone conversation started to fade into the background of Edward's mind, his attention span quietly faltering with each passing minute. His eyes were unfocused, his gaze unsettled. He'd seen plenty of blood before, let alone the blood that poured from his own body; but when it was someone else's…

"Do you hear me, Full Metal? You may be the youngest State Alchemist in the history of the State, but your job is still the same as the rest of us! When I send you out to work on an assignment, I expect you to get it done! You may have another objective, but your primary objective should be the one that you have with the State!"

Pictures of his mother--of what was supposed to be his mother, flashed through his mind; the horrific sight making him want to vomit. The body that he saw that day didn't exactly look like hers; but it wasn't a pretty sight either.

How could someone do that to a human? To anything?

Even though the blood had been cleaned up, he could still see the crimson substance as clear as day, staining the knees of his pants. Though black they may be, the material was darker, sticky. He shuddered at the thought that someone's blood was now trying to soak through his skin, but he couldn't do anything about it for the simple fact that his ear was seemingly attached to the phone, Mustang's tone deepening as he continued his you're-not-good-enough lecture, one he'd heard too many times before. And to think, he'd only been a dog of the military for a little more than a month.

"Edward! You'd better be listening to me! Edward!" he shouted, his voice continuing to raise, the usual smirk wiped from his features. "You want to play that game, huh? Well, that can be arranged. I think Hughes would--"

"I don't need you to send anyone out here to baby-sit me, Mustang!" Edward shot back, cursing himself for the outburst for he knew that's exactly what the Colonel wanted to hear.

"Is that right?" the question stung the thirteen year old in the ear, the smirk fitting rightfully into its usual place once more.

"Yes, that's right! I don't need a damned babysitter and you know it! We're working on the case, but they normally don't get solved over night, do they?" Edward exclaimed, the hand that was holding the phone trembling violently next to him. His jaw clenched tightly, his brow narrowing at the man across the line.

"Apparently not by you," the quick remark came back, the onyx eyes gleaming beneath the jet black bangs that hung in front of them.

"I told you--"

"Don't let this one get away, Edward. I'm counting on you, and you'd better be getting something done because if you keep playing around, I will send Hughes out there to assist--"

The Colonel's voice was quickly eradicated from the blonde alchemist's hearing as the boy slammed the phone down, not caring to hear any more from his superior officer. He knew he'd hear it later, but at the moment, he honestly didn't care. He had too many things to do and not enough time to do them in. Catching a murderer being first on his list though.

He squinted his eyes as he walked away from the desk, though not because of any bright sunlight invading his sight. He'd had a headache for the past few days, and it was only growing worse as the days went on. He reached a hand up to the side of his head, but quickly withdrew it as Al came into view. The last thing he needed was for his little brother to see him like that, no need to worry him any further than what the kid had to put up with in the first place.

"What's wrong, Brother?" Al questioned, turning to face his older, smaller brother.

"Oh, you know, the usual. It's my fault someone else got killed, I could've prevented it had I not played around with my time. The usual guilt trip," he stated casually in his ever so cynical quip. "You know how the Colonel is," he muttered, gritting his teeth at the pain staking its way through his head.

"Brother, are you sure you're alright? You look pale…" Al studied the red and black clad alchemist, worry scorching his soul. "Maybe you need to eat," he offered, looking down at the rather annoyed looking blonde.

"I'm fine, Al," he muttered, crossing his arms. "Let's go back up to our room and regroup. Go over all the information we've got, and then go from there," he stated, heading back towards the stairs only to stumble a bit, catching his balance on the banister.

"Brother!" Al gasped, rushing over to Edward. "Are you alright?" he asked curiously, placing a gloved hand on his brother's tense shoulder.

"I'm fine, Al, just got a small headache. That's all," he replied, cautiously making his way up the stairs. "It'll go away in no time. Stupid Mustang," he murmured, his hand gripping the wooden stairwell tightly, his jaw clenching in reflex. He stared straight ahead, his eyes focused on the stairs in front of him, though double vision was slowly snaking its way through his sight. He could feel dizziness creeping upon his back, and as much as he tried to ignore it, it continued in a steady stream, trickling through his system. His breathing was growing increasingly erratic, his heart palpitating louder and louder through his ears. One step, then two…

"Brother!" the frightened shriek came from the suit of armor, automatically catching the blonde in his arms of steel. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" he flooded the older one with questions, worry and concern lacing his tone.

"I'm fine…" he mumbled, his grip on the banister loosening as he fell back into his little brother's arms, any light that was in his line of sight vanishing as a veil of darkness trapped his vision, confiscating his consciousness.

&&&&&&&&

Darkness surrounded him, thick and uninviting. He tried to open his eyes, but it was as though there was an invisible weight upon his eyelids, preventing him from seeing what was just a few yards away from his grasp.

He tried to take in air, but there too seemed to be something on his chest as well; the breath that he longed for avoiding his lungs. Every time he tried to take in some of the sweet breeze that was swirling around his body, he wheezed, his lungs seemingly temporarily out of order.

His hands were trapped at his sides, gripping the cotton sheets he had been laid upon. He didn't know what was going on, but whatever it was, he didn't like it. At all.

He tried to force his brother's name out between his glued lips, but no matter how hard he tried, his mouth stayed clamped shut, only quiet grunts managing to escape. He could feel tears welling up behind his closed lids, slowly but surely sliding down his cheeks and onto the uncomfortable mattress that he rested upon.

His heart was beating faster and faster, pounding in his ears, and no matter what he did, it wouldn't slow down--no, it couldn't slow down due to his struggling, it just wouldn't. More muffled cries came from the small part between his lips, the feeling of being confined electrocuting his veins. Even with his automail arm, he couldn't seem to find the strength to get out of the bind he was in, making the fear that was slowly rising in his chest present itself even more.

The blonde alchemist tried to kick, but his legs were no different than the rest of him. It was as though he was paralyzed, and there was nothing he could do to escape the imprisonment he had somehow inadvertently gotten himself into. It was useless, he just couldn't move, making the urge to scream even worse.

The thought of Al being in the same predicament as him made his heart ring throughout his ears even louder, the inability to help his brother grating on his senses. It made him struggle harder, the want to get free rise in his chest, the want to get out of his temporary imprisonment make his kicks stronger and his thrashes faster; but the more he struggled, the worse it got.

The more he tried to take in air, the more his head spun, leaving him dizzy and nauseas. He could feel more tears break free of their crystalline prison and litter his distraught face, making him feel like a pathetic child; fearful.

No! a voice screamed through his head. He recognized it at once, it being his conscience or something along those lines. Are you that weak? Can't even get yourself out of a little bind such as this? Mustang was right about you…

The second voice scared him all the more, leaving him confused, rendering him still for the moment. He stopped fighting, another voice echoing throughout his ears, only this one seemed to be coming from beyond his thoughts, from somewhere in the room.

"Edward…Edward…open your eyes Edward…go on now," it cooed, sending an irrevocable chill down his spine, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. "It's alright, everything's going to be just fine. Go ahead…open your eyes."

It sounded oddly familiar, and unimaginably soothing; but there was just something about it that frightened him. It wasn't normal. It sounded so perfect, but as with all things, there was a flaw in it that he just couldn't pin point. But it kept calling to him.

"Edward…don't be afraid…I won't hurt you…I'd never hurt you…" it rang through his ears, an odd sensation swarming through his body. "That's it…"

Reluctantly, he gave into it's calling. It was as though a piece of the invisible force that was holding him down simply vanished, granting him his sight once more. The curtains slowly went up, a faint light catching his swimming vision. His golden orbs wondered about the room until a faded silhouette pealed its self away from the light, revealing a pale face with warm brown eyes and auburn colored hair flowing about it.

His heart skipped a beat, the naiveté of his youth coloring his thoughts. Was it? Could it be? Her?

"Mom…" a hopeful voice whispered, pain latching onto the word and sticking with it. "Mom?" the thirteen year old questioned again, tears brimming at his eyes. It felt as though he couldn't even control his breathing anymore, his heart beating faster than it ever had in his short life. The illusion of all his dreams was standing in front of him, looking amazingly beautiful and eerily ethereal.

"Edward…it's been so long, hasn't sweetheart?" she asked, her tone as light as a feather, the words casually rolling off her tongue. "I've missed you so much," she added, seemingly gliding across the room towards him, a more vivid light bringing out more of her faded features.

"Mom…no…you're not her…you're not her at all," he mumbled, woe filling his voice, his heart immediately sinking to the ground and shattering upon impact. He could feel his body start to shake once more beneath him, getting worse than it was before. His heart gave a resounding thump in his chest before beating irregular again, sending his breathing haywire.

"Shhh," she soothed, gingerly caressing his automail arm. "You don't have to be so afraid son," she said, offering a not-quite-right smile. The closer she got to him, the easier it was to see. When his harsh gaze finally reached her eyes, he realized what was off about her; there was no life in her eyes. She was dead, soulless.

"Don't touch me!" he screamed, his eyes watering again, though never taking them off her. "You're not my mother, you stupid hag! I know you're not! My mother's dead…" his voice trailed off, cracking at the last word.

"Now, son, why would you say such an awful thing? I'm right here. I told you I'd never leave your side," she stated, pain searing through his arm as she continued to run her hand up and down the cool metal, a hurt yelp parting his lips.

"Stop! Stop it! I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you're not her! You hear me?" he cried out, hissing as she brought her hand up to his cheek, pain emanating from his jaw, tears slipping out his tear ducts faster than he could refuse their escape. "Leave me alone! Go away! Wait, where's Al? What did you do with Al you monster?" he continued, trying to sit up though he was still paralyzed by the same invisible force.

"Edward, this is no way to treat your mother," she chided in a sickly playful way, a wicked smile creeping across her lips. She stared down at him with those lifeless eyes, burning into his, pain becoming even more of a presence. It cascaded through his limbs, feeling almost as horrible as when he had his automail replaced. It was as though she was turning the knobs and they were broken, permanently stuck in the agony position.

"Where's Al?" he questioned once more, his eyes burning with fear and pain, sadness leaking down his cheeks. "What have you done with him?" he repeated, gritting his teeth in spite of himself. He screamed once more as she just stood there and stared at him, smile still implanted on her pale features. "Where is he?"

"Your brother," she paused, slowly placing her hands around the blonde's throat, "is just fine." She stopped, the grin transforming into a scowl, making the resemblance between her and his mother disappear completely. "How could you, Edward? Why did you do this?" she shrieked, an air of hatred burning in her eyes. "How could you do this to me? Turn me into such a horrible creature? Why? What did I ever do to you? I loved you, took care of you, and this is how I get repaid?" Her voice was shrill in his ears, causing more pain to invade his body. His heart stopped at what he saw next.

Slowly, the face before him became a void, a black, empty, lifeless void. Then the rest of the body joined it, hollowing out before him. Panic rose in his chest as it morphed into the creature that he had tried to bring to life just a few years before, sending horrific chills throughout his body.

"Do you see now, Edward?" The voice was distorted; deep. It echoed through his ears, his jaw clenching tight at the horrible sound. "This is what you made of me. This is what you turned me into. How could you, Edward? How could you do this to me?" it cried out, oozing towards his confined body.

He continued to squirm, a loud scream escaping his throat. He still couldn't move, the paralysis becoming more than temporary. He looked over at the thing and froze; a thought rendering him helpless.

Perhaps, it was right. It was his decision, his and his alone, Al was just supposed to be a spectator. He was the one who instigated it, suggested-no, stated that they were going to bring her back. Because that's what he wanted. But he wanted it too badly. Too badly for his own good. Perhaps, yes, perhaps, he deserved this punishment. After all, it was his fault, wasn't it?

His breath caught in his chest as he watched it creep upon him, swaying at his side. He closed his eyes, preparing for whatever it was going to do to him. There was no stopping it now. It was over and done with. "I'm sorry, Al," he whispered, giving in to the fear that ate at him, consumed him.

It felt like a thousand needles penetrated his skin, a scream resonating through the room. This was it, he was going to die. Just like that. It was over. Now he wouldn't be able to help Al get his body back, guilt rushing through him. He'd let his little brother down again, made a promise he couldn't keep.

"Brother!" the sudden impact of the voice jolted him from the pain that was surging through his body. "Brother!" Al's voice cried out again, forcing a little more sense into the blonde alchemist.

"Al?" he yelled back, struggling to keep his eyes closed and his mind focused on his brother's voice. "Al?" he repeated, more pain entering his body.

"Brother? Brother? It's okay," Al's voice reassured him from somewhere far away. "It's alright, Brother."

"Al?" he asked once more, his voice as quiet as a whisper. The pain stopped as fast as it had come, his body still trembling. He could feel his limbs once again, prompting him to open his tear-filled eyes, his brother's voice at arm's length. The darkness was gone, as was the horrible creature that pretended to portray his mother. He could feel Al's gloved hands on his shoulders and slowly looked up to see his little brother looking down at him, the face of the soul-filled suit of armor seemingly wearing a concerned look. "Al," his voice came out again, shaky. Without another thought, he wrapped his arms around the steel suit's neck, panic still wracking his veins.

"It's okay, Brother. It was just a bad dream. That's all. Remember, you used to do the same for me…when we were little…" the younger one's voice trailed off, leaving a tinge of nostalgia in the air.

The pain in his little brother's voice made him feel all the worse now. Al couldn't even dream anymore. Couldn't touch, couldn't taste, couldn't cry. He was suck in that lousy suit of armor, and it was all his fault.

"I'm sorry, Al. I'm so sorry," he whispered through grit teeth, anger for himself raging in his soul. "I'm so sorry," he repeated, huge tears rolling down his flushed cheeks. His body continued to disobey him, he unable to stop shaking. He squeezed Al tighter, knowing that his little brother couldn't truly feel the warmth from his embrace.

"Brother, it's alright. Calm down, it's not the end of the world. You just had a nightmare, that's all. Whatever it is--"

"I saw her, Al. I saw what I did to her, what she became," he cut the boy off, anger slicing his tone, his jaw clenching immediately.

"Mom?" the younger one queried, his gloved hands still sitting securely on Edward's still trembling shoulders. "You…saw Mom?" he questioned once more, a hint of pain tinting his tone.

"Yes," the small alchemist answered honestly, his blonde hair completely hiding his face from sight. "And…and…" he stuttered, the images playing before him once more, the creature haunting his vision. "She hates me," he muttered before breaking into tears once more, sobs pouring from his quivering lips.

"Brother…" Al was struck speechless for a moment, still trying to take everything in that his brother was saying. "Brother, Mom doesn't hate you. Whatever that was…in your dream, that wasn't her. She loves you, wherever she's at. That thing was just trying to get the better of you. It wasn't her. That's the most important thing to remember," he stated, gazing down at the crestfallen State alchemist. "It was just a dream."

Upon hearing Al's voice and sense of reasoning, Edward stopped shaking, taking into account everything his younger brother had said. But as much as he liked to believe it, the creature and its words still lurked at the back of his mind, haunting him aplenty. But he couldn't keep crying, he knew how it made Al feel.

How could you have been so selfish? How could you let him see you like that? So weak and pathetic? You've got to be strong for him. He's your little brother and he needs you, and if he can't depend on you, who can he depend on?

With a harsh swipe, he rid the tears that had polluted his features, taking in a deep breath and trying to straighten up as best he could. He had to be strong, he just had to be! Swallowing his pride yet keeping the notion hidden, he slowly slid off the bed, knowing what he had to do.

"Brother? Are you okay? Where are you going?" Al inquired, surprise streaking the metal face, worry laced throughout his voice.

"We still have a case to solve, don't we?" he asked, picking up his comb and running it through his tangled mess of hair. He quickly braided it and slipped on his red jacket and white gloves, not realizing Al staring at him all the while.

"You sure you don't need to rest more, Brother? You nearly fell-"

"Come on, Al," he started with a fake smile, just the corners of his mouth creasing were enough to cause him pain, though he hid it as best he could. "Let's go."

"Well, there's just one thing," Al stated hesitantly, his voice quietly wavering, nervousness enchanting his tone as he placed his gloved hands behind his back.

"And what's that?" Edward questioned suspiciously, raising a curious eyebrow.

"Well, you really scared me earlier so I called Colonel Mustang," he explained, unable to look at the expression of anger surging over his older brother's face, a tinge of red blushing his cheeks.

"And?" Edward asked through gritted teeth, his eyebrows narrowing, knowing he wouldn't like what was coming.

"And…"

"And what, Al?" he asked once more, taking a few more steps towards his younger and frightened brother.

"He's on his way."

Author's note : Well, how was it? Hopefully, Edward wasn't too OOC. He's such a passionate character and extremely emotional so I hope I captured him well enough. Thank you so much for your reviews by the way! Sorry I didn't have time to respond to them but I will this time. Let me know how I'm doing, please! Your reviews give me better insight and plenty of inspiration as well. Tell me if I suck or if you like it! Later!