"I wonder what it would be like in a blackout." Blue eyes met golden ones over the rim of a handheld game to enquire as to the meeting of gold's sudden statement. It was rare that the boy who the eyes belonged to would speak, unheard of that he would actively start conversation.

Winry and Edward were situated in the small apartment that housed the girl and her aging grandmother. Unlike Edwards, which had an air of gloom with its dirty walls and newspaper coated floors, the Rockbell residence was bright and inviting, the walls painted a soft yellow and the large couch that Winry was resting on in the family room a contrasting sea green. Picture frames hung off the walls and played happy scenes of family life over and over again, there were even flowers on a coffee table over to one side.

Edward was lying on the floor, running his fingers slowly through the plush carpet as if it was the softest silk and his eyes darted away as he began frowning thoughtfully at the strands closest to him. "Just saying." He commented bluntly.

"You're weird, Ed." Winry stated in her patented matter-of-fact, no-nonsense tone. It was something that she had inherited from her grandmother, an ability to insult without pushing boundaries. She could sound serious and no one would ever take offence from her words unless she truly meant them.

Ed laughed because of this, rolling from his stomach onto his back and peering at her upside-down. The laugh wasn't forced at all, which surprised Winry; it was something she hadn't heard in years. "I guess I am." He commented in a whimsical voice. She prodded him gently with her foot.

"Why the sudden philosophy?" She asked him, grinning down as he poked his tongue out at her and lightly shoved her foot away. It was times like this when Winry could forget that Edward was sullen and moody, amazed though she was that she had actually managed to touch him without him flinching violently away or freezing on the spot. Almost gone from those crystal and gold eyes was the sullen, sulky boy she knew, replaced with something she hadn't seen there for a long while. "It is like you." She teased, "But I'm still curious."

He growled lightly. "I was just wondering." He said, and his eyes flickered a shade darker as he spoke. "I mean, we've come to rely so much on electricity. We use it to see, to cook, to entertain ourselves. It's just interesting." He looked at her, seriousness in his expression and putting her at unease. "It keeps the planet breathing now that there are barely any trees left. What would happen if something went wrong and there was no more Electricity anymore?" Winry shuddered. Such thoughts chilled her to the bone. Edward hadn't stopped yet, however, the brief relapse of his self into the eyes of her childhood friend gone, killed by a dark and brooding look. "What would happen if you lost something so interwoven into your life, you didn't realise just how much you relied on it until it was too late?"

Alarm bells were ringing in Winry's head, something in Ed's expression warning her that he wasn't just talking about horror tales and rhetorical situations anymore. Something was telling her that this ran deeper than the here and now, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what. "I dunno Ed... I guess..."

He glanced up at her suddenly and sharply. "Why do you hate Angels so much, Win?" The unexpected interruption threw her through a quick loop. She gave him a blank stare as her thoughts tried to catch up with the new track of conversation. Edward was acting scatterbrained, even for him.

Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was all connected somehow, that the things Edward spoke of were dark and brooding for all the jovial atmosphere of her home. This was the boy who one told her that her bathroom looked like it was straight out of the murder scene of a movie after all. "They killed my parents, Ed." She reminded him, looking away as she did so. Well past grieving, Winry still couldn't fight back a slight pang of remorse as she brought up the subject matter of her parent's death. "I hate them for that."

The words rang hollow and emotionless.

The warm colour left the room slowly, the attitudes of the teens leaving an icy chill that hung about the marigold walls and drained them slowly of happiness until they looked rather silly and out of place. The cheery frames added a sense of irony to the scene. Edward seemed unperturbed by it. "If you could find the Angel who killed your parents, what would you do, Winry?"

She glared at him, her tolerance quickly waning. "Why all the questions?" She snapped. Edward knew the answer to that question already. He knew it was her life's dream to enter the military so she could avenge her family.

He shook his head sadly at her anger. "There's no reason in particular." He replied, the mask of the cold and aloof teen slipping firmly into place. He glared at her, the frigid temperature surprising Winry out of her fury. "Just so you know, Ana and Nick were as good as killed by humans." He said softly. "I don't hate them."

Winry opened her mouth to protest that, to argue that their situations were insanely different but she stopped upon meeting his eyes. His pupils were so small within his iris' that they appeared swallowed by a sea of amber and gold with bright orange flecks which Winry was sure she'd never seen before. The outer eye seemed almost unnaturally white, blazing even on the slightly pale and sickly face they were set into. Winry shuddered, as the video game dropped from her hands onto the couch beside her.

Edward blinked and the moment was gone, however Winry could not get the vision of those eyes out of her head. They were frighteningly akin to those of an eagle, and they had shocked her down to her bones.

He grinned up at her from the floor of the living room, his serious and soul searching expression gone for one of mirth. "What time is it Winry?" He asked jovially with a puppy-like demeanour. "I've got to go out somewhere this afternoon."

Winry felt her left eyebrow creep up to her hairline. She didn't comment on the fact that her best friend was such a shut-in that mushrooms were beginning to take root on his shoes. "It's four thirty, Ed. And you could have checked that by just turning around you know."

He shrugged at her, standing up slowly. "I've gotta go now anyway." He said, scanning the room for the aforementioned shoes and wandering off to aimlessly search the house when he didn't find them. Winry sighed and headed towards the front door, picking up the boots from the hallway as she went. She greeted his sheepish smile with a strange expression, holding out the footwear expectantly.

He took them from her and sat down to wrestle them on. "Thanks." He muttered distractedly.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Winry teased lightly.

"...Late." One boot on, he started forcing on the other.

Winry's other eyebrow followed the same ascent as the first. "Oh?" She grinned at him. "You're acting like a girl before a first date. Is there something I don't know?"

He hit her on the leg playfully before standing up and flashing a mysterious smile. "Even if there Was, Win, do you really think I'd tell you?" He laughed at her.

She shrugged. "You never know." The smile didn't leave her face as she opened the door for him. "See you tomorrow?"

"...Bye Win." He didn't look at her as he stepped out of the apartment.

...Odd. She puzzled, closing the door behind him.

"Okay, let's see." Edward muttered to himself as he looked over the sparse belongings he had gathered to take with him to the meeting today. "Do I have everything I need?" He sighed. He would leave with Mustang if the man asked him to, it was part of the deal.

It certainly looked it, he realised as his eyes travelled over the notebooks, handheld computer on which all of his important files were stored and an assortment of clothes and books that he couldn't do without. The Rabbits too sat by the door looking obediently grotesque amongst a collection of alternative music discs. He flashed them a small and brief smile before poking his head into each room to check for any stray items that may have escaped his gaze.

He picked up some random hygiene materials from the bathroom, but his final dilemma came in the only room in his house untouched by anyone other than him.

He stood by his bed and looked down at the photo and doll in his hands with a dark expression and a heavy heart. His eyes were glazed over and an outsider looking in would see the expression as lost and alone. He shook his head suddenly and threw both doll and picture frame back onto the bed.

Don't be sentimental, you fool. He told himself.

He left the room, shoved all of his important belongings into a faded blue backpack, whistled to the rabbits (Who followed obediently) and left the apartment.

He turned off the light behind him and didn't look back.

"Do you make it a habit to be late, Princess?" Edward bristled at the condescending tone used and turned quickly, his braided hair whipping about and striking his cheek. He flushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment at having been caught unawares again.

"No more than you make it a habit of being an annoying bastard." He replied, trying to regain his composure. The retort, however, sounded weak even to his ears so it came as no surprise that Mustang, He-of-the-Smirk, didn't bother to dignify it with a reply. Pulling his favourite facial expression, the man sighed and leaned backward onto the glass railing of the balcony. Edward noted with some dissatisfaction that the man was hiding his wings again and that he hadn't brought Alphonse this time.

Instead of the teen Edward knew and had taken an instant liking to, there were two non-descript looking soldierly types, decked out in a full blue uniform. Mustang himself wasn't wearing it, but from the casual way he stood it was easy to tell who was in charge in this situation. Roys' smirk grew as he noticed Edward looking over the two others. "You said you would be here with two others, Princess." He offered cryptically. "I merely prepared accordingly." Edward scowled.

They stood almost like bodyguards by him, not bothering with the task of hiding their own wings like Roy was (Edward didn't know whether that was to throw him off kilter or to place an ease in the situation, and try as he could, he just didn't know how to work it out). The woman on the left was balanced perfectly on the railing, feet shoulder-width apart and seemingly uncaring of the multi-storey drop below her if she should fall backwards. She was blonde and fierce looking, with brown eyes that promised no nonsense but a loyal friend if treated well. They had peered at Edward curiously when he had first introduced himself (At Mustang's pointed hint) but now surveyed the surroundings with the ease of disinterest coupled with long practise. She had brown wings, Edward noted curiously and he wondered secretly how many different colourings were possible. It was something he would look up, or ask Al if he did actually get taken to wherever it was that these creatures came from. According to Mustang, her name was "Lisa Hawkeye." Edward had vaguely wondered about the Avian sense of humour.

The other was completely different again, standing on the right hand side of Mustang and looking wholly too innocent to be allowed. He would squeak whenever he caught Edward looking at him as if caught with his hand in the cookie jar (Actually, Ed found this quite amusing and was making sure that he looked at the man as often as possible just to get a reaction.). He looked at the most to be around nineteen years of age and had the appearance of one who'd never truly lost his puppy fat. The uncertain and almost shy smile he had flashed when introduced was something that left Ed with the impression of a happy, but shy personality. His hair was messy and his eyes hidden behind square spectacles. All in all he looked like the kind of guy who mostly went unnoticed, but would always support one when one was in need. "Cain Feury." Mustang had called him, and Edward had stored the name away for later use. Feury himself had squeaked and muttered a quiet greeting.

"Are all you Avians this weird?" Edward asked, looking from one body guard to the other. The woman sent him a reprimanding look and he ducked his head almost instinctively.

The rabbits were having a rather fun time, Edward noted as he looked down. They were slowly creeping out of the shadows towards Mustang and his two companions, sniffing the air and looking genuinely curious. Scientific minds. Edward thought fondly. There's no stopping them.

Mustang, however, did not share this same view. "What are those things?" he asked with mild and poorly hidden disgust. He dubiously looked at Ana who was approaching Cain with an awed expression. The poor Avian appeared terrified, pressing himself up against the glass railing. Ana blinked at him. (Rawr! Went Ed's inner voice. I'm a scareee monster!)

"Wow." She said softly, raising one stubby paw to point openly at his wings. At this point Cain nearly took off in flight and Edward let loose a chuckle.

"She," he said, stepping forward and running a hand through her sparse white hair fondly, "Is Ana. She will not hurt you, and neither will Nick." Well, he might kill you by accident. He thought, but didn't add it. He is rather boisterous.

Nick chose this opportunity to leap up at Mustang, who, Edward noted with some satisfaction, recoiled in poorly hidden appal. "Yes, but what in the name of trees are they?" His voice was riddled with a type of bemusement.

Edward laughed at the delicately blank expression on the third party member's face. Hawkeye seemed very reluctant now to step down from her rail perch. He could understand why they were recoiling easily, for Ana and Nick were definitely repulsive to look at, strange crosses of human and rabbits that didn't seem to work no matter what way one looked at them. It seemed impossible for such creatures to survive, let alone be curious and have distinct and friendly personalities.

He sighed. Just like Frankenstein's monster. Grotesque and frightful on the outside, warm and loving on the inside. "They're the result of a human genetics experiment gone bad." He informed Mustang and the others. "They used to be researchers at one of the government buildings riddled throughout the city. One day the government decided it needed human subjects to participate in an experimental and highly dangerous process and they were chosen. Their DNA was combined with that of two domestic rabbits. (I think the rabbits died in the end) and most unfortunately, the experiment failed." He ran a finger over the rim of one of Ana's ears. She leaned into the touch obediently.

Mustang stared at him openly. "Humans... did this to other humans...?" he appeared at a loss for words. SCORE! Inner-Ed cheered.

"Yup." He said. "The creatures you are looking at used to be my adopted parents."

All three Avians looked most horrified now, Hawkeye's expression finally slipping with a crinkle of her brow. Edward sighed. "Anyway, I believe I was meant to be the one asking you questions, not the other way 'round." This appeared to bring the three back to a focus point and they all directed their eyes away from the rabbits and to him. "The first of which is... If I'm like you, and I'm an Avian, why don't I have wings?"

Mustang shrugged. "Lift up your shirt." He stated calmly, fixing Ed with one of those infuriating looks.

"WHAT!"

"Lift. Up. Your. Shirt. It is hardly a difficult request, Edward."

Edward scowled, but not to be outdone by the man, he did so. Mustang nodded smugly and Edward felt a violent urge run through him. It was gone as quickly as it came, and was only shown in a sudden twitching of a nerve above his left temple.

Mustangs' brow furrowed. "Do those red marks down your side hurt you?" He asked, seemingly innocently.

"...Occasionally." Edward replied with a shrug, pulling his shirt back down again. The seasons were starting to turn from autumn to winter and it was getting chilly out. Thus he was wearing a long sleeved shirt with a red turtleneck over the top of it, and long, comfortable black pants. His silver Flamel necklace was still in its place around his neck (he never took it off) and his golden stud had been replaced by a ruby drop that Winry had given him for his birthday last year. "Why?"

Mustang smirked (again) and shook his head. "Then you needn't worry about why you don't have wings, Edward, that problem will solve itself in a week or two." Edward sent him a quizzical look but Mustang didn't elate. The twitch ran through his nerve again. If there was one thing that Edward hated, it was people who played their cards so close to their chest that not even a molecule could squeeze between the two. (He conveniently ignored the fact that he, himself was one of these people.)

"If there are no further questions then Princess?"

Edward shook his head.

"Good." Mustang rested a hand briefly upon the boy's shoulder. "Because we do have a rather tight schedule to keep to, and the Avians are looking forward to seeing their prince for the first time in fifteen years."

Edward cast a glace over his shoulder at the sliding door onto the balcony. So this is it. He thought almost sadly. I wonder how long it'll take before Winry figures out I'm missing. He turned forward with pained eyes and (gulping once) nodded to Mustang. "I'm ready to go." He said softly. I'm sorry, Winry.

Mustang nodded curtly, wrapping arms around his waist and flapping invisible wings once. Behind him his two companions picked up a rabbit each and took flight behind him. Black wings burst into view and flapped once more, much stronger than before.

Edward was grateful suddenly to Roy. The way the man had picked him up meant he couldn't turn his head and watch his life fall away from him as he rose at an outlandish speed towards destinations unknown. However, Edward was also in a position that he didn't see a blue-cloaked Avian flying on underdeveloped wings about 500 metres to the group of six's right.

Well Done, Alphonse. Thought Roy as he took the boy further away from his home of fifteen years and to the cage of a ship that was the true home of the Avians now. It must have been causing him great stress to be leaving everything behind and start on a journey with three complete strangers of a race he was taught was enemy from day one. He commended the boy's bravery on that front.

Nevertheless, Mustang couldn't shake a belief that Edward placed a very shallow value on bonds, or at least that was all he would show on the surface level. He was quickly coming to realise that Edward was deeper than he had previously thought and that breaking through his defensive layers was going to be a challenge even for someone who could read minds ever so slightly.

/Why am I leaving? Why did I decide to do this? I'm sorry Winry, Aunty, Nina. Oh God. NINA. I arranged a play date with her tomorrow. What's she going to feel when her Edward-little-brother doesn't show up? Maybe I should just demand they turn back around and go home./ The turbulence present in Princess' thoughts startled Mustang.

"Calm down, Edward." He said softly, too afraid to rub his back, partly because of what he knew Edward's reaction would be, partly because he was afraid that he would drop the boy. "You're trembling." He offered by way of explanation.

"Am not." Came a gruff and almost childish reply. Roy sighed and didn't pry into his thoughts anymore.

Edward was so certain of leaving. He knew what he had wanted to do and had no qualms in doing it. The boy could place his emotions aside in an instant; put all bonds on hold or at least sideline them in name of the greater goal. However, even to Roy, known as the great manipulator couldn't figure out what on Earth, or Mars, that goal could be.

What an interesting character. Roy thought softly to himself.

"You needn't be worried." He said softly. "This is all just a new adventure for you."

"Not worried."

"Come then, Princess." He hoisted the boy up higher into his grip as an inexplicable urge caused him to purr huskily into Edward's ear. "Come fly away with me." Edward's violent thrashing nearly caused Roy to drop him, but it had been worth it to see the bright red blush that graced his cheeks, and the embarrassment that gripped his frame.

Oh yes, Edward still might be a little finicky about leaving, but the next few days were going to be fun.

.

A/n: I swear, there is ACTUALLY a reason as to why Edward doesn't have wings. I just can't reveal it yet, because no one in Ed's immediate circle (Either human or the soon to be one of Avians) knows. The only people who did probably know are Ana and Nick and look at them.

Hell, maybe THEY didn't even know. That's not something I'm saying for certain until later. (Yes, I do know, I'm just not telling you guys. –heh-)

I really enjoyed writing the scene with Winry in this chapter. Because the girl's so vibrant and full of emotions, she's actually a fairly fun and versatile character to write. However, like all the characters of Hagaren, you do get the feeling that she's hiding more than she's letting on. Including that into her character is rather difficult. (A CHALLENGE! MUAHAHA!)

And before I go, I just want to acknowledge all my wunnerful reviewers. There's one person in particular on my 'frequent Reviewers' list who really make me want to get the next chapter out a lot faster. This person is Uchiha Kuraiko. Kuraiko always leaves long reviews that really brighten up my day, because of the amount of thought that goes into them. The questions that are brought up inspire me to push on so that I can actually get to the answers without spoiling the fic.

All my reviews are vastly appreciated and always inspire me to get the next chapter out just a little bit faster. Often when I'm feeling down I'll go back and read through them, and they'll never fail to brighten up my day. There are so many other wonderful reviewers that I want to mention, but to bring them all up would make this Author's note WAAAY longer than it already is.

So never fear, even though I don't physically reply to your reviews (I would like to, but my schedule simply doesn't give me enough time) I do read and appreciate every single one. Seriously, when I first began this story I didn't expect it to become so... I don't know what word to use here. (-heh-) But I didn't expect to get nearly such a big response as it has. Thanks everyone!

Now, don't let me get all sappy, yah hear? Leave a review for a hungry Authoress?