Envy struck viciously with his sharp claws and fangs and Ed countered hurriedly, yet expertly, with the spear. Envy fastened his jaws around the weapon as Edward drew back a little after a round of attacks. Ed tried to twist the spear out of Envy's grip. As they broke apart once again, footsteps approached… quick ones…

"Edward!" Hoenhiem yelled at his son as he ran towards the struggling two. "Go! I shall be the sacrifice."

Hoenhiem pulled out a knife from his over coat and cut one of his major veins. Ed stared at his father and at the blood which was now pouring out of the wound.

"What are you waiting for?!"

Edward jolted into action out of his reverie and began to run towards the transmutation circle once more. Skidding a little as he stopped at the transmutation circle he stared at his father again, a frown on his face.

Hoenhiem smiled at him. "I know you still hate me for leaving your mother and you and your brother, but I have no regrets in seeing you again." He paused. "Go back across the Gate to your little brother."

Ed frowned, although he used to hate his father, that was true, he could remember a time he loved him too, and since his fight with Envy a few years ago, he had felt rather differently. In fact, ever since he passed through the Gate, he hadn't seemed to hate his father has much.

In that minute that he pondered, Envy struck out at Hoenhiem. Hoenhiem pulled out his walking stick from where he had dropped it and fended Envy off easily.

"GO!" Hoenhiem yelled, hitting Envy out of the way, "What are you waiting for? Trade me for a passageway to the other world!" He looked at his blood-covered fingers. "…There's no point for me to stay any longer..." He looked imploringly at Ed, browns drawn downwards. "This is what I want to do."

Envy was approaching again. Ed looked at his father worriedly once more and strengthened his resolve. He placed his hands firmly on the transmutation circle. Gripping his Philosopher's Stone carefully, he started the transmutation.

Bright blue light shone in the dim light. Edward felt himself disappear, a bit like then time when he came over to the world he was in now, not that he was even sure he was a world anymore. What he nor Hoenhiem, who had hit Envy away once again, didn't realize, was Envy's sneaking in behind him.

Envy was going to go through the Gate too.

Envy was going to return to the other world…

Hoenhiem watched as his body deteriorated. He smiled though as Edward disappeared among the light. Suddenly he noticed though, Envy's trying to sneak through as last time. Hoenhiem frowned. Something was going to happen to that boy. He didn't pay for his passage and would later have to pay.

"Hoenhiem!" a young woman ran out.

"Trisha?" Hoenhiem's eyes widened, he hadn't realized that Trish might be alive in this world. Its not that he hadn't looked, but he had never caught the faintest glimpse of her. How she would know him too, also baffled him.

"I ..I…." Trisha threw herself into the transmutation circle to hug his body. Hoenhiem's eyes widened a little as he saw what was happening

As their two bodies deteriorated, the last thing Hoenhiem heard was…

"I …love you…"

Edward fell out of the sky and landed painfully. Well to be exact, he was underground, and therefore he fell out of the ceiling, but… boy was the ceiling up high! Ed had managed to stop himself from falling all the way with an very hurried unconscious transmutation.

How he managed this feat though, was one thing that Ed couldn't fathom. His robotic limbs were gone once more and all he could do now was use a transmutation circle. He looked humouredly at the transmutation he had drawn, which was more like an oval than a circle, not to mention very messy.

Drawing a more complex circle quickly, he lowered himself to the floor and clambered off with his one leg and one arm.

This wasn't gonna be easy. No way it wasn't….

Ed sighed…

Alphonse raced down the stairs as he felt the surge of power rise once more. A blockade! No doubt one built after Ed's disappearance to stop others going inside. Al pulled on his gloves, ones like Mustang's ones, or rather a bit like Kimbley's hands, with transmutation circles on the palms. Placing his hands on the wall, there was a flash of bright blue light as he blasted it apart.

He had trained with the gloves for a while. He wasn't used to not using a transmutation circle, however, the Fuhrer (Roy Mustang) had promised he could try out for the State Alchemist test next year if he studied hard enough. Alphonse wanted to follow in his brother's footsteps.

It wasn't like he hadn't tried doing his brother's way either. He could have clapped until the cows came home and he still wouldn't be able to do a transmutation without the transmutation circle. Why? He had seen the 'Gate' hadn't he? Even if he didn't remember… he had!!

He heard running in the distance behind him. Winry and Rose perhaps. He placed his hands on the next wall, light flashing again as he also blasted that apart. He wondered what could have made that huge surge of power though.

Blasting apart the next wall, he ran onwards.

Edward crawled as best as he could across the floor. It wasn't easy, no indeed, especially since his trailing sleeve and pant leg kept getting in the way. It was one of those times he got annoyed over the loss of his arm and leg, not that he hadn't been annoyed about it before, but this case was different, more so too. Edward grabbed the Philosopher's Stone protectively as he heard running footsteps and threw himself behind a boulder. He jarred his shoulder and leg as he fell and winced in pain.

There was a spark of electric light blue light and a huge crash as a wall was blasted open, but Ed didn't check to see if it was anyone he knew. Boy, did he make a lot of noise, was the person looking for him or was that person just here to steal something? Somehow Ed didn't think so.

He heard quiet footsteps walk across. Suddenly they stopped and began again faster, at what seemed to be a run. He heard something clang, meaning metal being picked up off the ground. He winced as he realized that it was his pocket watch, which must have fallen out.

The pocket watch. He had had it carved into the State Alchemist's emblem and with the same engraving of the words: Don't forget 3.Oct.10… a reminder of his past, and present.

There was a silence as the person seemed to mull over what they saw. Then suddenly…

"Nan-dao! I come down here and this is all I find? Where did the power come from?" There was a click as it was opened. "This State Alchemist pocket watch seems different somehow though..."

The frustrated, annoyed voice seemed similar somehow. Why did it? Then he remembered… his whole life with the owner of that voice and in that one minute had forgotten?

"Al…phon..se…?" he said incredulously.

Alphonse head whipped around.

"Who…?...niisan?!"

Ed crawled out painfully and smiled at his younger brother who was staring in shock, the pocket watch slipping slowly out of his hand. Suddenly, Rose, Winry and Scieszka came barreling in.

"Masete!"

"KYAAAA! AL!!"

"Chotto Matte!" (it suddenly got a lot noisier!)

Lieutenants Maria Ross and Denny Brosh came running in after them.

"You know you're not allowed down here!"

Rose was off again, running towards Al. Suddenly she stopped and fell onto her knees, face paling and eyes widening.

"E…d….?"

Winry gasped and sprinted to her at full speed.

"ED?!"

Edward sat awkwardly crossed legged on the floor and he laughed nervously. "Um, 'hi' might not be so appropriate here…"

The Lieutenants could only stare as Winry went over to hug Edward. Winry sniffed back the tears and let her friend go.

"Here." she said strictly, opening a suitcase which everyone (not including Edward) had long noticed she had carried everywhere, though they didn't know why. The next instant they all understood though as she pulled out an automail arm and leg.

"Winry!" Edward said, alarmed. "I've grown taller, you know!"

Winry waved a hand at him dismissively. "I'm not that much of a baka. I've made it to fit you, not that you would ever grow, "micro-chiibi"!"

Ed glared at Winry.

"Who are you calling chiibi? When did you start imitation Pinako-baachan?"

Winry just grinned and began to do a little inspection of the automail before she gave it to him. She glared at him, her look obviously saying, make yourself useful or shut up. Ed sighed and rolled up his pant leg and took off his shirt.

Winry handed the automail leg to Scieszka.

"Here, you connect this…" she said distractedly.

"What?!" Even after stayed with Winry so long, Scieszka still was freaked out about automail.

"Just push it in firmly and I'll do the rest."

As Winry checked that the automail was in place, Ed braced himself for the pain he would feel… he had forgotten that.

"One… two… THREE!"

Edward gritted his teeth in pain as the automail snapped into place. Lieutenant Brosh extended a hand as Edward opened one eye painfully. Wincing, Ed got up. He turned towards Al but Al took one look at the scarcely hidden pain on Ed's face, swiped back up the pocketwatch and ran.

"AL!"

Rose sobbed as she watched Ed straighten up slowly and stretch. The feeling of wearing automail was strange after all those years. Neither Rose nor Winry could fathom however, why Ed was still missing limbs when he had got them back before and also … well… what happened to Wrath…

Everyone yelled out as Ed suddenly collapsed and hit the floor, passing out in pure exhaustion.

[ANCIENT Author's Notes:

The Trisha running towards Hoenhiem bit I made up on the spot because there had to be an extra person to support Envy's passing through the Gate. It probably sounds like Trisha was sacrificing herself or something but I'm not too sure myself really. But if I hadn't added Trisha, Envy would have probably perished in the attempt and that could mess up the story (no hints!!) I also think that making Hoenhiem an 'offering' was a weird idea, I wasn't too sure how to make Hoenhiem kill himself too.

I noticed there was quite a lot more dialogue at the ending, and all I can say is gomen ne. I also had too many characters clustered down there. Maybe I could have cut out the Lieutenants but I felt they were needed. Schieszka was there more because she and Winry seem the 'supporting each other' type.

And Al runs away again… (sweat) except for different reasons.. there's no war!! (glare)

Wondering about the relationship between Winry and Scieszka.. and what are Winry's true feelings? Have you noticed the story's only been two sided for now? Al and Ed.

Get ready for more!!

NOTE ABOUT THE LAST CHAPTER:

I know I used 'door' before, that was influence from Tobira wa Mukou e, and I have edited the last chapter so it doesn't say 'door' anymore and now says 'gate'.

Also, as much as I'd like to write Edowardo and Edo and Aruphonse and Aru, well, it just doesn't look right.. which kind of kills it…

New Author's Notes: How weird it sounds...