Hey everyone, I've reached...! Well, I'd be lying if I told you that I've hit the halfway point of my story, because there's still much more to come, but now is when things start getting deeper and the plot becomes more charged. This chapter will join chapter 7 in laying the foundation for the rest of the story. What that basically means is there won't be much action in this one, but a lot of important plot points. I hope you stick with me for the ride, through to the end! A/N, Preview at bottom.

To Heal the Wounds of the Heart

Chapter 8: Promises

"You should never have come here! Father Cornello gave us hope! What right did you have to take that away? With him, we believed we could do anything, even bring back the dead. We're a desert village, we had nothing before that!"

"You're saying we should have just let everything go on as it was?"

"Well, why not? What do I have to live for now that I know Cain won't come back? You tell me that, Ed!"

"You'll have to decide for yourself. Walk on your own. Move forward. You've got a good, strong pair of legs, Rose. You should get up and use 'em."

"Brother was trying to help you. He just doesn't always handle things well."

"Just go away, will you?"

"You can still believe, and hope, Rose...I still do."

Rose clutched Ed with her entire being, as if she had never expected to see him again, which was a very real possibility. As time went on, her arms tightened, she inched herself closer to him, and her ragged breathing gradually slowed. After nearly a minute and a half, Edward finally managed to detach himself. He softly took her hand and rose to his feet, helping Rose up as well. Winry, standing by, wasn't nearly as confused as she was furious. Al did all that he could to restrain her from barging in on the moment.

"Rose, what were you thinking?"

"Ed...I wanted to see you so badly..." She was fighting tears.

"Still, that was crazy! Do you have any idea what could have happened to you? Or to Noah?"

Rose continued, as if she wasn't hearing any of Ed's words. "I never stopped believing, Ed, and hoping, that I'd find you again..."

"What you did was idiotic!" Ed shouted, finally breaking through to her.

"Was it, Ed?" she countered.

"Huh?"

"I got up and used my legs."

There was no reply for that.

They all stood in silence for several minutes until something else entered Ed's mind and triggered his curiosity.

"So, Rose, how did you open the Gate?"

"I used alchemy," she replied, not willing to tell him exactly what measures she had taken.

"Who taught you alchemy?"

"A kind woman that I met during one of my travels back to Lior. I told her about you and she promised that if I studied with her I could find you again. When she finished teaching me, I went to see General Mustang to ask him about the exam."

"Damn it, so he knew after all! That bastard!"

"Brother, we don't know that," Al stepped in, "He might have spoken with her, but maybe he didn't know what she did, or what she was going to do after she finished. Maybe she even disguised herself when she first saw him. It's possible he never knew at all."

"Like hell he didn't! I'm going to give him a piece of my mind the next time we see him!"

Al shook his head. "Whether you are or not, we're not going back to Central just yet, remember?"

"What?" Winry exasperated, "Ed, where are we going now?"

Ed sighed and looked back at Lior for a moment, before turning to stare at the horizon. He took a few steps forward before shielding his eyes from the sun. Shortly, he discovered what he was looking for and turned to the rest of the group.

"We're going to follow that train line directly to Youswell, though it'll take a while."

"Youswell?"

Al nodded. "Yeah, we were going to see some of our old friends there and ask if they knew of anyone that had passed through town or seen something suspicious lately."

"But Ed," Winry continued, "It will take us forever to get there. I've heard Youswell is the last town to the East."

"Don't worry. We'll just catch a cab. Al and I have done it before." Ed grinned.

That put an end to the conversation, and so Edward, Alphonse, Rose and Winry made their way to the outskirts of Lior. Finding an old, cracked building that had been forgotten in the revitalization of the town, they sat in the shade. It was getting to be later in the day, and the temperature continued to rise. In front of them, there was nothing but sand and a cloudless sky. Edward stood up, letting everyone know that he was going to go phone a cab.

Just then, a large, long black car that looked oddly familiar pulled up next to him. It was then that realization hit Ed: it was a military vehicle. He had no clue who would be picking him up or how they even knew where he was, but because the vehicle so obviously belonged to the State, he wasn't very alarmed. The driver inside waved a hand, gesturing for them to get in. Shrugging, Ed called his brother and the girls over. He allowed them to slip in the back before moving around the car and getting into the passenger's seat.

"Hey, we need to go to Youswell."

It wasn't until they were all settled and ready to go that Edward made another realization:

The driver was wearing a black cloak.

"Nothing's perfect. Not even the world. That's what makes it so damn beautiful."

The rain was coming down hard in Central. The scene throughout the city was dark and dismal, made possible partially by the fact that the sun was obscured by dark clouds. The world looked far from beautiful at that moment. The drops fell continuously from the sky, hitting the paved streets and scattering ripples across the many puddles. The sound of the downpour, mixed with the pitter-patter of each tear as it fell from the sky, blocked out many of the usual noises of the city. The sidewalks and streets were deserted; people lingered in their homes, watching the weather from their windows.

The sound of footsteps could not be heard above the rain, but a single person sauntered along the side of one such street, with no personal care for the well-being of their clothes. Already soaked, the man continued to pace slowly with no cover, head facing downwards to stare at the sidewalk.

His mind was in turmoil.

"I'll work under you, stay close to the higher-ups and help push you to the top."

"Maes...with everything that's been going on, I haven't had much time to think about you lately. But I haven't forgotten," he whispered aloud, more to the sky than to himself, "And I never will. But I'm worried about Ed and Al, and about what's happening around us."

His thoughts were cut short as another approached, carrying a navy blue umbrella that shielded their face as well as it did the rain. They were strolling at a somewhat faster pace than the General, but otherwise making no attempt to hurry. It most likely had something to do with the umbrella. As he moved closer, Roy ducked his head slightly to see who was under it. When he finally made that discovery, it stopped him in his tracks.

"Hm? Oh, hello General," she said. Riza was shaded by the umbrella, but that did not stop her amber eyes from radiating as she looked at him. She was wearing a light red blouse with white mixed in, to go with some short khaki pants. Considering the coldness brought on by the lack of sunlight, her choice of dress was surprising.

"Please, Hawkeye, is there any need to be so formal?" he questioned.

"No, I don't suppose so."

It was then that he noticed what she was holding: a standard brown paper bag, about as tall as the distance from her waist to her neck, filled with fruits and other assorted groceries. He realized that she was probably traveling home to prepare for dinner.

"Can I carry that for you?"

She blushed slightly. "I thought you were heading the other way." This caused him to smirk, his single eye gleaming.

"I think I can manage a small detour," Mustang blurted. He winked coyly.

"Well," Riza replied, returning the smile softly, "That would be a big help, Roy. And I just might invite you to stay for dinner."

Grinning widely, the General took the large package in his hands and shifted his weight, still sauntering down that same sidewalk, albeit in the other direction. Above him, the rain still came down without ceasing. But it was possible that even the rain made the world more beautiful than it appeared.

"I can only offer you this: the Elric brothers, especially Edward, have garnered quite a reputation around Central, and in the East. As the unfortunate result, they do get pulled into a wide range of troubles from time to time. But it's okay. You take my word for it...those boys are strong."

Edward swiftly pulled back, followed by a yell of surprise. Before anyone could ask him what was going on, he reached forward and grabbed the hood of the cloak, yanking it back and revealing their follower.

"Havoc?"

The lieutenant grinned and waved a hand. "How's it going, guys?"

"Alright, seriously," Ed quipped, "why are you following us."

"Oh, well, that's simple, you see. General Mustang ordered me to tail you guys, just to make sure you stayed safe. When I saw that you needed a ride, I figured I could help."

Edward kept his comments and ideas about Mustang's motives to himself, instead turning to face forward in the car, as if he couldn't believe that they hadn't pulled out yet. Seeing this, Havoc smiled once more and stepped on the gas. In no time at all, they were out in the middle of the desert, dust kicking up as they sped through barren landscapes contrasted by cloudless skies.

As they drove on, something kept nagging at Winry. "Havoc..."

"What is it?"

"What happened to your face?"

"Oh, you mean this?" he inquired, pointing at a large square bandage stuck to his left cheek. When Winry nodded, he smiled. "Well, let's just say I won't be trying to cook anymore. I had a girl over and I figured I could get a nice dinner ready for her. The gash was pretty big."

As they continued, Ed stared solidly out of the window, arms folded across his chest.

In no more than an hour's time, the car had taken them throughout the large expanse that was the East, past deserts, small towns and abandoned villages, over endless seas of sand, to the last town to the East: Youswell. It had not changed a bit since the Elrics' last visit. There were still as little visitors as before, but from surveying the scene, it was at least obvious that after Edward had come and put an end to Yoki's control, the townspeople's lives had drastically improved.

Ed, Al, Winry, Rose, and Havoc all exited the car. All four doors seemingly closed in unison. It took Edward less than ten seconds to identify the building they were looking for, but before he could excitedly dash towards it, Havoc commanded his attention.

"I guess I'll be leaving then," he announced, lighting a cigarette and smirking.

"Well, that's interesting," Ed interjected, "Lieutenant Havoc, I thought that you were supposed to follow us and ensure our safety."

"I was, but now that you've made it to Youswell, I'm sure you'll be fine. You can just catch a train back to Central when you're done," Havoc replied.

"If we're supposed to be safe traveling on trains, then why did you feel the need to tail us on the one out of Central in the first place?"

Havoc was quickly running out of answers, which was no more his fault than it was Edward's, who continued to press him in a very untrusting manner. Neither Al nor the girls could deduce where Ed was going with the conversation, and Havoc eventually gave up.

"Listen, Ed. I'm going to go report to Mustang that you made it safely. Hopefully I'll see you all in Central soon." He headed for the car, swinging the door open. Before he could get in, however, he stopped and looked around, as if just remembering something. "Oh, right! Ms. Rockbell, can you come over here for a moment? There was something the General wanted me to tell you."

Winry was slightly hesitant for a moment before Havoc finished his statement.

"It's regarding your parents, and a request he has for you."

Nodding, although visibly scared of anything involving the history between her parents and Mustang, Winry slowly moved over to where Havoc was. She leaned in, as did he, and they engaged in a whispered conversation. Little by little, Winry seemed to be leaning in more and more.

"So, Ms. Rockbell, the important thing is--" Havoc began, when a loaded fist collided with his jaw, sending him flying. He hit the ground and skidded several feet before stopping in a translucent cloud of dust.

Winry suddenly bolted up and blinked hard, as if she had been in some kind of trance. Then, seeing the situation, she yelled, "Ed, what did you do that for?"

With a solemn, almost angry look on his face, Edward slowly paced his way over to where Havoc was lying with a large mark on his face. Raising a boot, and showing no remorse, he stepped flatly on Havoc, pinning him down. Ed reached down and grabbed the bandage, ripping it off and casting it aside.

"This bandage wasn't covering any cut," he said quietly, "That would have been way too convenient. What it was really meant to disguise...was this."

A crimson dragon eating its own tail had been lurking under the bandage.

"The mark of the Homunculi."

Ed paused long enough to stare hard at the Ouroboros. While his eyes were trained on it, the Homunculus used it as an opportunity to leap to its feet, which it did with alarming quickness. A white glare appeared at its feet, sliding upward and leaving everything it touched changed. From what had been a replica of Havoc sprang a black skirt, a small black undershirt, menacing eyes, a cruel smile, and long, sharp, green-colored bangs.

"Alright, Pipsqueak," it offered, "You caught me."

Edward scoffed. "Don't call me that. You don't have a right to. Either way, you're not Envy. Give it up."

"Oh, believe me, Fullmetal Runt, I'm more of him than you'd like to know."

Ed growled menacingly, taking a few steps toward the Homunculus. "What are you here for?"

"I'm just keeping an eye on you."

"Why?"

"Does it matter?"

"You bet it does!" Ed yelled, charging Envy furiously. The homunculus grinned for a moment before widening his eyes. On a dime, Edward stopped in his tracks, falling to his knees, holding his head in obvious pain.

Rose gasped. "It's messing with his mind again," she uttered quietly.

"How do you like that, Pipsqueak?"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrggghhhh! Stop!" Ed screamed, but it was unrelenting. He clutched his head harder, until he felt a physical pain on the right side of it. Opening an eye slightly, he caught sight of what was causing it: his arm, as he grabbed his head. It was automail. "No!"

"Hahahaha, hehehehe. What's the matter? You didn't forget that your limbs are fake, did you?"

"What? No! I got my arm and leg back! They were flesh, I felt them!" Suddenly, the pain in his head intensified, and he doubled over. "Stop!" he cried.

Envy was amused. "Stop? Who, me? Oh, you're very mistaken. I'm not the one responsible for that." Everyone present blinked in shock and confusion. In answer, out of Envy's shadow slunk a dark figure, almost lugging itself out into the eyesight of the observers. It was short, about Ed's height, covered in the red marks, black clothing and tattoo that all Homunculi possessed. The Ouroboros tattoo was planted in the center of its forehead, between short black bangs that hung to its eyebrows. It was quite thin, and a slight hunch marred its stance. Regardless, the Homunculus boasted a very lean physique and strong-looking legs. It had pale skin, sharp teeth and merciless, cold, gleaming, narrow, purple eyes.

Al was in disbelief. "Another Homunculus?"

"Of course," Envy answered, "This is the new Pride."

"It can't be," Ed stammered, looking up from his position on the ground.

"And why not, Fullmetal? As long as humans exist, there will be those few that are foolish enough to try and create human life. For as long as alchemy is around, we Homunculi will exist. Don't think that just because you can kill us that others won't follow, because you'd be sorely misguided. We will never go away."

Pride stood, smiling devilishly, no more than ten feet from Edward. After a few moments, the pain subsided, and gradually faded away. Ed got to his feet, shaking slightly. He looked at his automail arm, and then felt his leg, and whimpered.

It was then that Pride finally spoke. It had a slightly high-pitched, energy-filled voice, quite the opposite of Avarice. Its voice and its appearance, when combined, made it oddly resemblant of Wrath, although with shorter hair and a different attitude. Whereas Wrath had been frantic, emotional and loud, Pride appeared to be calm, cold, distant and soft-spoken. Altogether, he had the appearance of a short, twenty-year old young man.

"Why are you surprised?" he laughed. "You thought you had human limbs because that is what I wanted you to think. I no longer have a purpose for such tactics, besides tormenting you with it. So it's time to face the facts--your arm and leg are no more human than I am."

Ed's pupils dilated, his eyes opening wide, and he took a step back. In a fit of rage, he leaned forward and raised his arms, preparing to fight. He slammed his hands together and ran the left one over his automail arm, causing his trademark steel blade to extend from it.

"If that's how it is, then so be it," he declared, taking off towards the two Homunculi, "I'll take you down no matter what my arm is made of!"

To the side of the battle, Alphonse stood with his arms at his sides, hands clenched into fists, back slightly bent. He had a focused, determined look on his face, signifying that he was ready to jump into the fray as soon as he was needed. Rose and Winry were next to each other, observing fearfully. Their eyes darted to and fro, following Edward and the Homunculi as he fruitlessly chased them. Silently, Rose cast a worried look towards Ed, but as the fight continued, it was replaced by another look in her eyes, an unconcerned and almost proud, somewhat longing one. She then glanced at Al, determined and ready, and turned to Winry.

"Those two really are amazing, aren't they?"

"Huh? Rose, what do you mean?" Winry questioned.

Rose turned back to the struggle, her pink bangs swaying with the movement of her head, pretty face and charming eyes focusing, and smiled confidently. "They're so strong."

Winry gazed at Ed, slipping out a reply. "Yeah, they are."

The sound of metal whiffing the air drifted across as Edward took another futile swing.

"We just came to warn you, Pipsqueak," Envy stated as he dodged thrusts and jabs left and right, feet moving constantly as he danced around and away from Edward's blade, "That nothing is as it seems. We know your every move, and your every thought...and we have a purpose for you. So be prepared."

Ed took one more step before springing from the ground. Blade clutched close to his chest and elbow bent, he flew directly at Envy, weapon at the ready. But as he reared back and unloaded, swinging it in a full circle, the two Homunculi vanished into a large cloud of smoke, leaving not a semblance of a trace.

"Okay, Ed. I'll be seeing you."

"Yeah. Well...no. This time, it's goodbye."

After the disturbing and confusing ordeal that had seemingly become the normal for Edward and Alphonse, Ed had decided that it would be best for them to take their newfound knowledge and go back to Resembool to do some thinking, thereby saving their old friends in Youswell the trouble of having to be questioned.

Incidentally, Edward had also made the decision on a dime and without much question. Due in large part to that, the group ended up on a train two hours into its journey to the rural village with quite a few more left before it ever got there. The time of arrival would be near midnight.

As it progressed, the train rhythmically made clinking and shuffling noises as it changed direction. It was impossible to see anything through the windows. It was completely dark outside, and the bright ceiling lights inside the cars were on, resulting in reflections being the only visible image on the clean glass.

Edward sat quietly on the inside of a front-facing seat; Winry was next to him. His arms were folded across his chest, and he leaned against the wall of the train with half-closed eyes. In the rear-facing bench across from the pair, Rose inhabited the inner half, every now and then shifting her gaze from the window to the floors, then to Ed, before returning to the window. Quietly strong and thoughtful as ever, Alphonse leaned slightly out towards the aisle in the car's center, his piercing eyes seemingly gazing at something that no other could see. His gloved hands rested on his knees, and the cut on his forehead that Rose had healed was nearly gone.

"So, Ed," Winry began, but the Fullmetal Alchemist didn't move from his relaxed position, nor did his eyes open any more. She sadly looked at the floor, dropping the conversation before it ever got started.

"What is it, Winry?" he answered, though still unmoving.

She sighed and inched closer to Ed, looking at him thoughtfully. "You know, if there's something you want to tell me, I'm here."

"We drive her crazy sometimes, but she's always there for us."

"...Yeah...she is."

The entire room seemingly hung on what Edward would say next. After a few moments had passed, he said, "Not really."

In a mixture of worry and frustration, Winry nearly shouted back at him. "Tell me, Ed! You're never like this! If there's something wrong, you can tell me..." her voice trailed off, tears welling in her eyes, "Whatever it is...tell me. I know what it's like to feel alone...and confused...and helpless. That's how I felt every day that you were gone!"

Ed's eyes jolted open.

Again, he waited before speaking. "I'm not alone. I have Al."

The impact of those words on Winry manifested itself in her face, and nearly in her actions. Before she struck Ed, though, she was interrupted in stunning fashion.

"Ed, you need to realize that you and Al aren't the only ones who care about each other," Rose whispered quietly, never looking up from the floor.

Throughout the entire scene, no response had come from Alphonse.

"You're right, Rose," Ed stated, his facial expression never changing, with intent to finish the conversation, "Sorry, Winry." He then leaned even farther forward and closed his eyes, shutting out the world.

"You're not getting off with that, Ed! Can't you see how worried I am?" Winry shouted, the tears now falling freely. Edward sat up and looked at her for a moment with blank eyes, hardly listening.

"I'm just exhausted. Can we drop it?"

"Then lean on me, Ed. I'm here."

She reached forward and wrapped one arm around the back of his shoulders, and another around the front, pulling him close to her. He stared in shock at the seat for nearly a minute before a small smile crept across his face. Turning his head and leaning back, Edward closed his eyes and fell soundly asleep, leaning against her shoulder.

Al smiled, too.

Rose shifted her eyes from the pair back to the window, her thoughts drifting back to the recent memories of Ed: his departure, his death, his sacrifice...and she realized that none of them were good.

It was there and then that she made a commitment to change that.

"Ed, I love you."

"Rose, do you realize what you said to me just now? We're...just friends..."

It was silent. Not even the usual insects and animals of the night seemed to be active. Amidst the silence, it was dark. All that remained was the full moon and the jigsaw puzzle of stars in the sky. Edward was quietly lying on his stomach, folded arms propping his chin up as he stared into the distance. Every time he came to Resembool, he was reminded that, no matter how annoyed he was by the fact that there was never anything going on, the nostalgia it brought him meant that there were overwhelmingly good things about the town, in comparison to the rural ness.

It was far past midnight; the train had taken even longer than estimated to arrive. The rest were in the house, sleeping soundly after the journey. Edward had chosen to sleep outside, having a small conversation with his brother and assuring him that he would be alright.

A soft, comforting breeze played across the grass and over Ed. As it rippled through his hair, he closed his eyes, feeling relaxed for the first time in a long while. The Homunculi and Rose had both taxed his mind to the limit. Hohenheim's death still weighed heavily on him as well.

A quiet rustle in the grass behind Edward alerted him to another presence. Rather than sitting up, he waited expectantly.

"Yeah?"

"Um, Ed?"

"Oh, hey Rose."

Edward shifted himself slightly and rolled over onto his back, his metal left arm still behind his head to support it. Smiling nervously, she strode over near Ed and sat by his side. Her eyes turned toward the plains, which were dimly lit only by the light of the moon and the many stars above.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" she said, gazing up at the sky.

"Hm? Yeah, I guess."

"You sure sound like you mean it," she quipped, smiling at him sarcastically.

"It's just that after you've lived here for a long time, you kind of get used to them."

"I lived with Winry for a while, but I still never get tired of looking at them."

"Mm."

Rose returned her gaze to the stars, and Edward looked at her quietly. After everything she had been through, and everything that the brothers had done that affected her negatively, she still cared for both of them. It was quite confusing for Ed, but he knew that he held a soft spot in his heart for her, just like Winry. His mind played back to the time when they had parted after Lior, to the dance in the underground city, and to her screaming his name in sorrow as he lay dying.

When these feelings and harsh memories mixed with the current events of his life, he felt even more sad, weary, and confused.

His eyes focused on her once more, passing over her body: her long, flowing hair and pink bangs, her tanned skin, her gorgeous face, her lithe figure and attractive areas, he realized what feature most made him drawn to her, the feature that made Rose so entrancing, not just for him, but for any person who saw her.

Her eyes.

Her violet eyes contained a burning strength that Ed had never seen. Although it had most likely been augmented by the traumas of her life, some of it was real, and he could see it.

And that strength captivated Ed.

He closed his eyes to slits and wiped his forehead, sighing loudly. He needed to sleep, but what Envy told him had him on edge, and his beaten-down mind might not allow him to anyway.

"Ed, are you okay?" Rose inquired, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She stared at him until he realized that she didn't believe his lie for a second. "Well...no, I'm not."

"Why?"

"I'm tired...I'm depressed...I'm worried...I'm scared..." he said in a hushed tone, faltering slightly, "My head hurts...and...and so does my heart."

Rose blinked and then smiled. "Why are you telling me this?"

"What do you mean? You asked."

"But you've never been one to tell anybody how you felt or what you thought, Ed."

"I...know I can trust you, Rose." He felt that he could trust Winry as well. He always had. For some reason or other, however, he had never been able to share his deepest secrets with her. It made him even more confused as to why he could open up to someone like Rose, as opposed to Winry, who was so close to him.

"Listen, Ed..."

"Huh?"

"Do you remember what I told you when we danced?"

"Of course I--OH..." A blush spread simultaneously with realization across his face.

"So you do."

"Rose, I thought that was just Dante controlling you. It had to be."

"I'm not sure how much of it was real and how much she influenced, but..." her voice softened with every word, her eyes closing as she leaned closer to him, "Either way, I can't deny that I do have some feelings for you..."

"Rose, you can't be serious..."

"Equivalent Exchange, Edward...you've taught me things about life, and saved mine a few times as well...and this comes in return..."

"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth. But the world isn't perfect, and the law is incomplete. Equivalent Exchange doesn't encompass everything that goes on here. But I still choose to believe in its principle: that all things do come at a price. That there's an ebb, and a flow, a cycle. That the pain we went through did have a reward and that anyone who's determined and perseveres will get something of value in return, even if it's not what they expected. I don't think of Equivalent Exchange as a law of the world anymore. I think of it as a promise between my brother and me - a promise that someday, we'll see each other again."

Ed opened his eyes in shock.

"Equivalent Exchange...?"

"Let's look at it objectively. If I died, the world would continue to move along as if nothing had happened."

"Because you're just a small part of it--OW!"

"Don't call me small! Well, when the small part, in this case, me, dies, the body remains."

"Water, carbon, ammonia, lime, phosphorous, salt, saltpeter, sulphur, magnesium, fluorine, iron, and aluminum, right?"

"Right. The body's only a combination of those simple elements. Nothing more. We're destined to be decomposed by bacteria and become nutrients for plants. If you follow that process further, those plants nourish herbivores."

"And those herbivores nourish carnivores, even others like us. And though we lose awareness, our lives keep moving through the system."

"The great flow that maintains the universe--call it the cycle of life...the course of nature--each of us is just a small part of that current...One in the All. Yet, without all of the individual Ones, the All can't exist. This world flows by following grander laws we can't even imagine. To recognize that flow, and work within it, to decompose, and recreate...that is Alchemy."

"No, Rose...life is nothing like alchemy. You don't owe me anything." Ed was trying to sound forceful and convincing, but the exhaustion was setting in on him.

"You don't understand, Ed...it's nothing to do with alchemy. It's you. Just you and me."

"Huh?"

Rose leaned in closer, pulling Ed toward her. Moving into an upright position, sitting on her knees, she cradled his head carefully in her lap. When he finally opened his eyes again, she bent down slowly, brushing a strand of golden hair from his forehead and taking his face gently in her smooth hands

Her soft lips touched gracefully to his.

And whatever the reason, Edward made no attempt to resist.

A/N: Well...wow. Talk about hard work. That chapter took me so long that I can't remember just when I started on it. No matter. What did you all think? I poured as much as I could into it without leaving too little for what's coming later on. A few notes:

I've gotten into the habit of naming the chapters after episodes of the series, where it applies (i.e. Laws and Promises, Ep. 51). Just because it's fun.

Also, not all chapters will have quotes to start each section as this one did. This was a sort of remembrance chapter, of all of the laws and promises made in the series (hence the name of the chapter) and how they still apply to their lives. As something cool, I will award something to the person who is MAN (or WOMAN) enough to name the episode and person each quote came from.

But what that thing I will give is, I won't tell you just yet.

For all haters of EdxRose...mmhmm...uh huh...yeah...hmmm... pretending to listen... ...really?

No, I'm just kidding, but I will say this: don't flip your lid and assume that's my pairing. I won't go into any other detail because it's for you all to find out in later chapters. I will say this much: all flames are welcome because, well, regardless of what you say to me in them, they're still reviews, and I gladly accept reviews.

I just hope you can all stick with me on this one and trust me, and keep reading. I'll work hard to get Chapter 9 to you soon.

I want to thank all who reviewed, with the deepest gratitude. Please do it again, XD. To all who have this story on alert, and read but didn't review...don't alert it if you're not deeply engrossed in it enough to leave a review, regardless of if it's "C00L!11one!" or a lengthy, helpful paragraph, or flames. Thank you all.

A huge thanks to merodi-chan, again, for the help in pre-reading that I couldn't live without. Much love. B-) Heheh.

And, as my final cliffie...

None of you get a preview this time. Surprise!

Thanks all anyway. Read! Review if you can, but most importantly, Read (and Review)!

LL