Alright I'm back! Sorry it took so long: writers block. But now, I'm back and better than ever!

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Chapter 5- Crimson Butterfly- Edward... or Sae?

Alphonse stared in awe at the radio. These were Ed's thoughts? His true blue thoughts? Realization struck as he figured out who the voice that had been calling out had reminded him of: Edward.

Al decided that it'd be best to take the radio with him, quickly stowing it inside his armor.

He scoured the house, looking top and bottom for any traces of his brother. Not finding any, he quickly gave up on the house at took to the streets. He found a door to the outside and found the clue he'd been searching for so intently: attached to the hinges were scraps of red material; the exact same material as his brother's jacket. Well, that gives me something to work with, I supposed. He thought, walking out the door with a little more confidence in finding his brother.

The suit of armor treaded quietly down the unpaved road, looking for more clues to the elder Elric's whereabouts. A street now lay before him, stretching two directions. He wondered which direction to take, looking intently at the ground for the first time. He mentally slapped himself. Why hadn't he thought of it earlier? Dirt roads equal footprints. Alphonse was now staring at the shoe prints of Edward, seeing that he'd turned left and continued going.

Now, Alphonse was the tracker in the Elric group. He could tell that Edward had a pebble in his shoe before Ed knew it himself by the small change in his steps. And now, by looking at the footprints, he knew something wasn't right. He stooped down and looked closer. Sure enough, his right leg seemed to be being slightly dragged, as though he'd been injured in the past and now had a slight limp. Something tugged at Al's mind, telling him something was wrong with it.

Still, he decided that, for once, his intuition must have been out of panic. If his brother was injured, he could take care of himself until Al found him. But why did he leave in the first place?

The boy began walking down the stretch of land, following the tracks like a hunter looking for his prey.

Ed stopped leaving tracks soon after, when a bridge expanded across an overfilled river. Without hesitation, Al started his walk at a steady pace across the overpass. About midway across, the boards collapsed, taking Alphonse down into the darkness of the water. Soon, he was sinking into the silent depths of the sea. He thrashed out wildly, incapable of swimming against the force of the water filling his armor.

As the light faded from the top of the water, surrounding him in blackness, Alphonse gave up hope. He just curled up against himself, hoping, no, praying to whatever God was up there, that his brother was safe and out of harms way. Then, he began to cry pathetically below the icy cold oblivion.

Edward stood up in the dark room, looking over and seeing his brother. He was still at a loss with his senses, he supposed, seeming how he couldn't exactly pass out. He wasn't restricted by those human limits. He peered down, the light gone from his eyes, a smirk on his face that was far out of place for his face.

Slowly and silently, he began walking toward the door, though it wasn't of his own accord. In his mind, he was willing himself to stop, but it was futile. He was, evidently, leaving his brother behind, whether he liked it or not. Weakly, he lifted his hand against his chest, and snapped his pendent from his neck. Then, his mind was being controlled again, forcing the child to drop his hand, letting go of whatever it was that he'd grasped. They couldn't have him unconscious again if this were to work.

Unbeknownst to the spirit, he'd left the crystal pendent his father had left him behind. Yes, he still held it close, no matter how much he despised the man for what he'd done to his family. It was his only connection to him, his only hope that he might actually see him again, meet him face to face, and kick his ass: though it would be regretted most likely later on. He'd had it planned out perfectly. This whole possession thing hadn't quite fit in anywhere yet.

Al says he can read thoughts from the crystal pendants left behind by people in the village. Ed thought tiredly. Maybe… he can find mine… and find me. He can find out what happened and help me. I hate to need it, but I can't seem to ward it off… Help, Brother…

He began to lose track of his exact movements, but he knew he'd left the house by this time. Suddenly, his body stopped, and he was given back control. Unfortunately, in a desolate wasteland such as this, all the houses look the same, so it would have taken Edward forever and a day to find the home his brother was in. Besides, he'd probably have been dead before he found it. With all the tricks the ghosts would have waiting for him and his brother, he'd be lucky to escape the first house, let alone how many it would take to find him.

He turned on his heel, looking for some clue to find his younger brother. "AL! WHERE ARE YOU! ALPHO-?" His voice cut off before he could finish his plea. Edward stared blankly at the butterflies before him, emitting their strange, deep red color. The haze over his mind seemed to return, though it was not the evil he'd felt before. It was almost as if these specks called to him, though trying to help, not harm as the other had. Naturally, he complied to their beckoning, walking forward.

The butterflies crept forward, pulling Edward farther and farther into the village, leading him where he was needed. Visions began to flood his mind, flickering before his eyes, playing out before him.

Sae and her sister, Yae, played in a small yard, laughing happily in their youth. Hey, the blonde thought. They're the girls from that first vision I had back in the house…

The scene changed, a man standing before them with Alphonse's camera. He quickly snapped a shot, pulling the picture from its slot. Ed peered at it. The two sisters' were smiling happily, though Sae's face seemed distorted, twirling into itself within the confines of the square.

Once again, the surroundings formed differently. Now, it was a new version of the escape, as though the other had been how one had imagined it being.

Sae and Yae sat on a small pillow in the middle of a darkened room, men and women all around watching. Yae held her hands beneath Sae's chin, gripping her neck. "Are you ready now?" Yae whispered with a worried look in her eyes.

Sae quickly responded. "Yes."

Together, they stood, sprinting from the chamber as a small, blonde haired boy caused a distraction from the girls, knocking over candles and statues alike to let the two escape.

I don't want… to leave. The thought emitted from Sae. Ed looked on as the two fled, though Sae was slowing ever so much. We must complete the ritual. It is our destiny. If we don't, we'll be gone forever. I must stop her. Sae caught her leg and cried out, flying down the mountain side. A deep gash appeared in her leg. "SAE! SISTER! PLEASE: HELP!" she called, though her plea fell upon deaf ears.'

Yae continued running as her sister was captured by the men below. They dragged her back to the village, hoping that one was enough to please the gods.

Yae sat outside the threshold to the village, bawling, staining her white kimono on the soil. "I'm… so sorry. I can't… come back…" she cried, screaming in anguish and guilt at the loss of her sister.

Edward sympathized, looking on and thinking of how it would be if this happened to him and Al. He wouldn't be able to bear it if he left Al in this place. He could also understand Sae, being the one who was left. He liked being the mediator in the situation, but he was being thrown headlong into the same predicament. He had to put a stop to it before it ended up like this.

His vision returned to him while crossing a bridge. Edward didn't know where he'd come from, but he knew where he was headed. There was a huge spread of land before him, a mansion inside.

A voice echoed from around him, ringing in his ears long after they'd stopped, and chilling him to the bone.

It was Sae.

Calling to him.

Yae…You said… that we'd always… be together. That we'd be one… but everyone… died…

That's when Ed had a surprisingly connective thought to the situation. "Sae and Yae," he murmured to himself, not fully realizing he'd entered the mansion. "If they both didn't complete the ritual, then maybe… they expect us to… But if one's missing, we can't complete it. If Al and I are taking their place, who'd be who? Oh, no." Ed's eyes widened at the thought. Who would kill who? Would Al run off without him? Visa versa? He couldn't stand the thought of running away with his little brother, his only lifeline to the world. And if Al left him? Well, let's just say he'd get a better understanding of the homicidal side of Sae.

He entered a small room in the back corner of the home. A curtain hung off a rack in the back of the room. Behind it were the butterflies.

Ed limped forward, just now realizing he was limping. He looked down at his leg and saw a deep knife wound, most likely from that last fight.

He turned behind the curtain, and say Sae sitting. "She'll come back. She's got to. Yae, I love you. Please, save me. I don't want to die… alone." With that, the predicate spun around, lunging at the unsuspecting Edward, knife glistening in her hand.

He recoiled, but not quick enough. The knife embedded itself into his chest, then pulled itself out. A wound now bled freely. He knew it should have been a mortal wound, but there was no pain or weakness. In fact, he felt stronger than he had before. Sae looked at him happily.

She thinned out, turning herself into a small whip and burrowed herself into his heart as Edward cried out in agony. He stopped screaming suddenly, his head downward, bangs hiding his eyes from view. Then, slowly, he lifted his head, his eyes a dark brown… so dark, they nearly blended in with his pupils. Edward smirked contently, then whispered to himself:

"Yae, or should I say, Alphonse. I knew you'd come back for me. I knew you'd help me finish the ritual. Now, we can become… one…"

Edward was now in a dark expansion. "Wha-?"

"Yae, or should I say, Alphonse. I knew you'd come back for me. I knew you'd help me finish the ritual. Now, we can become… one…"

Ed pounded his fists into the black ground. "Like Hell we'll be doing some outdated ritual for you, bitch!"

Using all his will power, he fought Sae out of his mind, if not only for a moment. His vision returned to him, along with the control over his body. A sharp pain attacked him in his chest, and he gripped it with a yelp of pain. When he pulled his hand away, to his surprise, there was no blood, nor traces that there ever was any. In fact, when he looked down, there wasn't even a wound, as if no knife had stabbed him at all.

The pain returned, and he fell to the ground, clutching his heart with new resolve. "You can't win." Sae whispered to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her, sweat dripping from his brow. "You can't control me, so if that's winning, then yes… I… CAN!" He screamed as a wave of agony washed over him, tears springing into his eyes. But no matter how much she devastated his body, nor how much she tugged at his mind, nor how much she broke him down, his will kept her from penetrating again. "You're strong." She mumbled. "But not strong enough. I'll get you soon."

Sae disappeared, leaving Ed to himself. Fatigue and anguish overwhelmed him, beckoning him into the dark abyss of unconscious, but he wasn't ready for it just yet. He stood, pretending to still have enough strength to take Sae on once again over his body and mind. Edward peered around for any signs of the spirit, but the only thing he saw were the tables and books on the shelves, his only hearing consisted of his labored breathing, coming in short, panting breaths. Satisfied, but still worried she'd come for him, he sat behind the curtain, staying as alert as possible. Maybe, he thought. If I wait long enough, Alphonse will find me. Sae wouldn't dare attack again with him around…

He chuckled to himself. Well, that's a first. He'd never thought he'd need Alphonse as protection! He thought he'd just be a help in a tight situation, and, at first, a reminder of his burden and something else to protect. But now, he realized how much he needed him. As a brother and a guardian.

Then, for the first time in a long time, Edward laid his hands together and prayed. "Dear Lord, if you are there and if you can hear me, please let my brother be safe." Tears flowed down his already sweat drenched cheeks. "And please, let him come for me, and save me, so that we can be together again. Please, Lord, I need him now more than ever. And please, let us get out of this alive. Together. I can't do this alone…"

With those last few words spilling weakly from his lips, he succumbed to the darkness, plummeting to the ground behind the curtain.

Somewhere in the distance, a water soaked suit of armor catapulted from the river, landing back on the bridge. The armor did a little happy dance, then sprinted toward the mansion. God had granted his wish. The sinful children would be reunited soon enough.
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So, what will happen to the brothers? Find out soon!

---Hikari---