Eheh. ^^ Okay, I'm really sorry this chapter took so long, even though it's rather pathetic. I lost the file to... something, and I had to work around it and fix stuff and it was long and tedious work. So, I'm sorry again.

If I get enough comments, I'll post the epilogue within the week. Enjoy.

Just as a refresher, the large chunks of italics are Mustang. He's dead.... so he gets italics.

Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own FMA at all. Pity, eh?

xxxxx

"Colonel Mustang never returned to us and, because of the copious amounts of blood on the floor... we assumed he was dead. His funeral was about a week-"

"We don't need to hear about his funeral, Major Elric, we just want the facts. According to the report you gave, you and your brother assume that Colonel Mustang now resides in two places at once?" The judge was uninterestedly flipping through the photos of the file as if they were just scenes from a recent horror film. Edward couldn't help but force himself to hold back the angry stinging behind his eyes. Swallowing a phrase that he probably shouldn't use in front of a military judge, he answered,

"My younger brother and I did see that the shadow of Colonel Mustang was in the corner of the picture, yes. Is there a problem, Sir?" Ed ground out between his teeth. How dare he continue to act like the case was nothing more than a simple murder? It was a damn case of life and death and the lump in the pulpit was talking to him as if he were a juvenile delinquent.

"Oh no, not at all," the judge mused, fingering his stubble as he looked over the picture. He had chosen to ignore Edward's comment. "It's just, I'm not sure if the laws of both physics and science apply to your story. He's now in... two places at once, you said? Which two places might those be?" He sounded as if he were speaking to a child who believed he had imaginary friends. Edward swallowed the irritating lump once more.

"My brother and I believe that Mustang can traverse between the Gate and our world-"

"As a ghost?" The judge let out the beginning of a chuckle.

"No, Sir." Edward's voice held an edge that his colleagues caught, but not the judge. "As a soul. We believe that Mustang's shadow, when it was left in our world, somehow held a part of his soul that wasn't taken to the Gate with his body. Thus, Colonel Mustang's full soul can travel from the Gate to our world-"

"This is alchemy, Major Elric, not a child's ghost story." The judge flipped the file shut, and Edward felt the lump in his throat drop down to the tips of his toes.

"B-But Sir!" he stammered angrily, "Sir, with all due respect, we were the only ones present at the transmutation. Surely, we know what-"

"I have the right to strip you of your power to speak in this court, Major Elric, and I will tell you this now before you embarrass yourself: There is no way for a human to be in two places at once. It is as simple as that. If you can find evidence to prove otherwise, we'll put people on it, but I seriously doubt it will happen. Now, we have your testimony, and all we need to do is have Mustang's subordinates fill out a report on the transmutation. I also need their signatures-"

"But Sir, I-"

"-on this document here. You all will be examined by a professional psychologist in the very near future. This court case has been adjourned."

The sound of the gavel echoed in time with the feel of Edward's heart sinking. He was shaking, downright trembling even. Frustration oozed from his every pore, he wanted to strangle the judge with his bare hands, hit him until he got his point across.

He's a good kid. I'm glad he learned to tell the truth. I just wish he would stop crying. Dammit, Fullmetal, stand up straight. Keep your head up, look that idiot in the eye. Just don't cry. Stop leaning on your brother's shoulder like that, it's embarrassing. You've got the story down on paper, you've told everyone what happened. Is it really worth crying over right now?

I'm proud of you, though, kid. I know it was tough, standing up there in front of that idiot and talking about what you'd rather not even think of. It takes some real guts. Hell, you haven't even thought of suicide, which I could never resist thinking of.

But I swear to hell, if you don't stop crying this instant, I'm going to go back to the Gate, getting my body, and dropping it on you in your sleep. And don't think I won't do it.

"Hey, Chief," Havoc comfortingly set a hand on Edward's shoulder, distracting the younger blonde from his attempt to keep his sniffles silent. "You did good. I never could've told a better testimony."

"Thanks," Edward said softly, rubbing his suit sleeve over his eyes and then looking guiltily at the damp spot on Alphonse's shoulder. He'd never felt so overwhelmed before in his life. He felt like he'd gone through a hundred encounters with Barry the Chopper at once. Alphonse still hadn't regained his color from the shock of seeing his sibling so shaken.

"Brother..?" Alphonse asked timidly, one of his hands twitching to touch his own dampened shoulder. Edward smiled half-heartedly.

"I'm okay, Al. I promise," he said lowly. Then, he looked over at Fuery.

"You know, Alphonse really didn't need those wisdom teeth back," Edward said jokingly, though his face only held the smallest of crooked smirks. Fuery, who had cowering at Hawkeye's side during the entire court case, was finally beginning to regain the color in his cheeks. His trembling hands were shoved into his pockets, making him lean into a rather unusual slouch.

Well, damn, Fuery. Your hunching isn't much better than Edward's crying. Aren't you a soldier? Stand up straight.

Hawkeye licked her dry lips...

No lipstick? Not even that chapstick she used to wear? What has this world come to?

… and began to shrug her overcoat back on over her uniform while saying, "Gentlemen, I think it's time that we leave. They'll send us the paperwork, along with that psychologist information." She said 'psychologist' as if it were a bitter medicine in her mouth.

Havoc cursed the judge foully under his breath as he pulled on his own overcoat, then handed Fuery his scarf. The men, including Edward and Alphonse, all followed Hawkeye towards the door with slumped shoulders and downcast eyes.

Good job, men. I'm proud of you all.

I told you it was pathetic. /sigh/ Well, read and review. Please don't complain about the shortness. I actually intended for it to be that way.