(A/N) OHMIGOSH! Last chap! Sorry, I know it took a while to get here seeing as how I updated kinda slow. But here it is: last and final part. This is when you can finally review the ending...(that means I want you to, 'kay?)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Fullmetal Alchemist. Which sucks.

Get your tissues ready…

Chapter Four – A Different Goodbye

Ed pulled at the door handle to the carriage, but it refused to open. He tugged furiously, before finally giving up. He sighed, and stepped back.

'We don't need to be in the train to put the alchemy back.' Aura reasoned.

'Yeah, but I need to be in there. I'm supposed to be on this train, and I don't want it going off without me.' Ed explained, yanking the handle again. Aura paused, and brushed him aside.

She laid a hand on the handle, and it glowed with a gentle white light. The handle clicked, and she fell backwards into Ed, who caught her just before she fell off the plank of wood they balanced on. Aura groaned, her eyelids flickering.

'Hey, are you okay?' Ed asked, helping her to stand up. 'Maybe you shouldn't do that if it's that draining.'

Aura shook her head. 'No, I'm fine, honest.'

Ed let her go, and she fell to her knees again.

'Nope,' he said firmly. 'You definitely shouldn't do that again.'

He placed one of her arms around his shoulder, and helped her to walk into the carriage. Leg's shaking, she sat down on one of the seats next to a frozen passenger.

'Ed,' she said weakly. 'The necklace.'

She lifted it over her head and handed it to him. Ed held it in his hands for a moment, before turning slowly to her.

'Erm…'

'What's the problem?'

'Um…how do I get the alchemy out, exactly?'

'You crack it. Here.' She threw a knife at him that was laid with some bread on the table she sat at.

'Now that wasn't very clever, was it?' Ed asked mockingly. He picked the knife up off the floor. 'Throwing knives at the nice boy who helps you in the carriage?'

Placing the necklace on one of the tables, he raised the knife, and brought it down heavily onto the necklace. Sure enough, it cracked down the middle, and a pale, green line of light snaked from it. It slithered across the floor, almost like water, and began to make itself into a shape in the centre of the carriage. Ed eventually made out the faint shape of a transmutation circle. It began to glow gold for a few seconds, before erupting like a firework in a magnificent emerald light. He shielded his eyes, and Aura did the same. The light swept across the floor, just like it had done in the field. It carried on until it was outside, flowing like a river across the land. And then, the train began to move. It jerked a few times, before running smootthly once more.

Ed turned to Aura, grinning widely. She smiled back, until he turned around to look for Al.

'Now where's my soup can of a brother…' he asked himself, as the passengers began to snap back into movement. Disappointed that he couldn't think of a more original insult, he scanned the carriage for Al, until he finally noticed him, sat at the table in the corner.

'Hey, CM,' Ed smirked, jostling his brother by the shoulder. He spun around, recognising Ed's voice.

'Brother!' he yelled, ecstatic. And then he lowered his voice. 'Where did you go? And what does CM mean?'

'I'm not actually sure where I went Al; it's a pretty long story. And CM? You should know what that stands for!'

Al shook his head.

Grinning, Ed leant in. 'CM. It stands for…Can Man!'

'Edward! Don't be so mean!'

'I'm not being mean, CM!'

'Quit calling me that!'

'Quit calling you what?'

'Can Man!'

'I'm not calling you Can Man! I'm calling you CM!'

'Uh, um, Ed?'

Ed looked round behind him. Aura stood there, smiling weakly. She glanced at Al. 'Is this your brother?' she asked.

Ed nodded. 'Yeah. Can Ma – I mean, Alphonse Elric.'

Aura stuck out her hand.

'Don't shake it, Al.' Ed warned in a low voice. Aura slapped him again.

'It's nice to meet you,' she said. 'I'm Aura. I met your brother when he disappeared.'

Al nodded. 'You too. By the way…how many can jokes did my brother make when he was away?'

Ed stood behind Al, shaking his head furiously at Aura with wide eyes. 'Zero!' he mouthed.

'He made too many to count.' Aura said, grinning evilly.

'Brother!' whined Al. Ed shot Aura a dirty look.

'Anyway,' Aura began again. 'I'm going to go. I need to get home.'

'Oh…' Ed asked, surprised. 'So soon?'

'Mmm,' Aura mumbled timidly.

'Well, I'll see you off then, if you're sure. Off the train, anyway. I mean, I think me and Al missed our stop, so…'

'No, you can just stay here, I -'

'No, please -'

'Edward -'

'Aura -'

Al looked on, amused. The pair finally stopped, an uneasy silence between them.

'Well, I guess you can, if it's no trouble.' Aura muttered quietly. Ed nodded, and followed her out to the back of the carriage. He turned to Al, who stood up and walked after them.

Edward clapped his hands and placed them on the wood beneath their feet so it extended long enough for them to walk along it to climb from the train. It sprouted upwards, so there was a makeshift barrier that stopped them falling off.

Finally off the train, and stood at the side of the train tracks on a raised bank of mud that was either side of the tracks, there was – once again – the uneasy silence. Al nodded to Ed, and began walking away. Ed cursed his brother for leaving him without a leg to stand on if Aura said anything that made him feel guilty.

'So, erm…' he said, scratching his neck.

Aura coughed, staring at the ground. 'I, uh…'

They both looked up and opened their mouths to speak.

'You first.' Ed offered.

'N-no, you.' Aura countered. One again, the uneasy silence.

'This is hopeless.' Ed laughed nervously. Aura nodded, staying silent.

Ed took a deep breath. Why is she leaving me to speak all the time? It's so damn annoying! He opened his mouth, without releasing any sound. Dammit! I can't even speak to her!

To his relief, Aura looked up. He glanced a train coming past. Anything she did say, he wouldn't be able to hear anyway, thanks to the train. Furious for some reason, he clenched his fists at his sides.

'Um, Edward, w-what I really meant to say back there, was, uh -'

She was cut off as Ed pulled her forward so she wasn't shocked by another train, which was growing closer.

'Edward!' she yelled, panic-stricken, as she suddenly lost her footing as he let go of her.

She fell backwards, but her scream was drowned out by the sound of the train. Ed leant forward to grab her, and as he shook, she could see he would fall with her as she landed, screaming, on the train tracks. Doing what she could, she closed her eyes and focussed all her energy into releasing as much power as she could.

And there was the bright blue light again. It exploded from her, almost violently, and it threw Ed backwards away from the track.

'Aura!' he screamed. 'Aura!'

The train flew past in the smallest amount of time, but to Ed, it seemed like forever. He shut his eyes, horrified. When it finally passed, he slowly opened them, fearing the worst. But there, laid on the edge of the track, was Aura, crying and shaking. The explosion of alchemy had flung her back into the mud bank opposite Ed, clearing her just enough space so she was safe.

He dived onto the track, and placing his arms around her waist, Ed dragged her up the bank, and laid her on the damp mud. She sobbed violently, shaking on the ground, until she flung herself up suddenly, her hands clamped on the back of his neck. Surprised, Ed sat there, stock still.

He hesitantly placed his hands around her waist, and they sat there, silent, apart from Aura's sobbing for a few minutes, before she finally let go and wiped her eyes.

'E-Edward,' she mumbled, still crying slightly. 'I-I'm s-s-so s-sorry! I-I a-almost k-k-killed you!'

He smiled, wiping her hair out of her eyes. 'No, it's my fault. If I hadn't of let you go, you'd never of fallen.'

'Don't be stupid!' she spluttered, angrily wiping tears from her cheeks. As she did so, Edward grabbed her hand, and placed it back on the mud. She started, and looked up at him. There was a long pause before she finally spoke again. She placed her hand gently on her shoulder.

'I…I didn't want to leave -' she began.

'No, it's okay, honest, Aura.'

'Uh, Edward, I wasn't finished.'

'Oh, sorry, carry on.'

She took a deep breath. 'What I was saying was…I didn't want…I didn't want…I didn't want to leave…'

Her hand on her shoulder suddenly relaxed, and the folds of his cloak grasped in her fingers fell loose. She fell back onto the mud, her breathing shallow and her eyes closed.

'Aura. . .?' Ed asked, bewildered. 'N-no!'

'…You,' Aura said weakly. 'I didn't want to leave you.'

She fell silent, and no matter how hard Ed shook her she wouldn't wake up. Forcing back tears, he felt a hand lay on his shoulder.

A woman knelt behind him, but she didn't seem real. It was almost as if he placed a hand on her it would go straight through…

'She used up too much of her power,' the woman said quietly, and gently lifted Aura up. She stood, looking down at Ed. 'Her heart finally gave up. But please, don't worry.'

Ed gazed, shocked, at the woman. He blinked, and in that gap, she and Aura's body were gone.

'That woman…' Ed whispered. 'That woman…That was…'

Her Mother? Questioned a voice in his head...

(A/N) Gah, I can't believe I wrote that. They were so close to getting together… I'm angry with myself, but that just seemed to be the ending that fitted best.

I hope you liked the story! Well - worth it, or not??? Review please!

Thanks!

Dying by sherbet, signing out x