Ed sat inside the newly opened butcher shop, staring at his teacher with a mix of wonder and horror.
"I don't believe it, you're here?" He said faintly, staring around with wide eyes.
"Yeah, we decided to move nearer my idiot pupils. Speaking of that, where is your brother?" Izumi asked, sharpening a knife, carefully keeping the sharp object away from her stomach.
"Al... doesn't remember." Ed mumbled, trying to keep the sorrow from his voice. He failed miserably, and Izumi's features softened. She, much like her pupils had a sharp mind and realised what the lack of memories meant, other than Ed suddenly faced with a huge distance between himself and the brother who had walked alongside him on a long, painful road.
She pulled Ed into a bone-crushing hug.
"It's not your fault." She whispered, eyes squeezed shut against the memory of her hugging both of her students like this, one shaking with the effort of not crying, the other cold and metal.
Ed also closed his eyes. I'm sorry Al. I'm so, so sorry.
In some ways, we did get our bodies back... just not really together.
"I was wondering if Hohenheim could help with the birth, since he helped me before- made my breathing easier. So I wondered if..." Izumi trailed off, looking down at her stomach, expression unreadable.
"I'll ask him." Ed promised quietly. He knew how much that this had hurt her, and if there was even a chance he could help his teacher, the woman who had cared for him and Al... He'd take it. "I can go right now if you want."
"No," Izumi's voice suddenly turned far too sweet. "I want to hear all about what my pupils have been up to."
"Uh, living the life of a normal child?" Ed said, although it was like she could smell the guilt.
"What really happened?"Izumi asked sternly. "I do know what times schools are open for... Why weren't you in school?"
Ed sighed. No use lying. "I'm excluded for a week, for transmuting the classroom."
Izumi looked dissapointed. "Why did you do that? I know that I taught you better Edward."
"I've seen some shit in the military." Ed said bluntly.
"What kind of shit that would warrant transmuting a classroom?" Izumi asked harshly, not realising what she'd said until it was too late.
"Big Bro... ther... Ed... Ward?"
"Are you the Fullmetal Alchemist?"
"Die for your sins!"
"It didn't occur to you, did it? That I'd have another Philosopher's Stone."
"Nothing is impossible."
"All kinds of shit. I.. had a flashback and thought that a piece of chalk was a bullet." Ed said in a strangled voice.
After a moment of silence, he wondered why he said anything at all. He slowly began to rise from his chair, intending to go home and ask Hohenheim for the help, and then to do everything to try and forget.
Instead he was hugged again.
"I'm sorry." Izumi said again. "I shouldn't have asked, it's not something anyone would want to relieve."
"Sorry." Ed mumbled, wondering if he could ever say it enough to fix everything. Bridge the gap in the gate, reach Al... Fix Nina... Save anyone...
He closed his eyes to stop the tears, and leaned against the woman he saw as a second mother and listened as her baby kicked.
"Say, I remember you being better than this." Kimblee hissed with a sick grin as he walked past Roy.
Roy's eyes widened. "Fullmetal said you were dead. How do you remember?" He snarled quietly.
"Ah, ask the runt yourself, but I'll just say that I was alive in another sense." The man laughed, walking away.
Roy glared after the Crimson Alchemist. Living through the Ishvalan War twice was hell. The smells of ashes and blood baking in the sun should belong in nightmares.
Now, however, he had the skill and precision with his Flame Alchemy that he had lacked before. He could make the explosions seem powerful, seem like they were burning everything and everyone to ashes, but they were harmless.
He could miss, on purpose, with his pinpoint aiming that had burned Envy until the homunculus was small and weak.
He hadn't killed anyone yet, but everyone thought he had rivers of blood on his hands. The only ones who could tell were the Ishvalans themselves, and they kept quiet about it.
But they'd noticed. Rumours spread quickly, after all, the first couple of times could've been a coincidence, or put down to nerves... but now, it seemed that the truth was very differernt indeed.
He was waiting... He'd put up with the war long enough to fix something that had killed far too many people... He knew Hawkeye had his back, even if he couldn't see her. They had both agreed to do this. To try and fix things this time.
After all, the road to hell was paved with good intentions.
Underneath Central, Father screamed. He'd lost everything, but gained another chance. Losing control of his powers had kept him unconcious for a long time, and returning to reality was like dying.
His creations, his pawns- the homunculi crowded around him, looking for lack of a better word, concerned.
"So we failed." He mused weakly, looking around.
"Yes, we did." Pride's cold voice agreed. "We have years to plan and counter their pitiful counters now, however."
Father didn't outwardly display his shock, but that shook him. He hadn't meant to drag anyone back with him, he had wanted to escape, not particually concerned about anyone else.
Just how many others were dragged back with me?
"You're quite correct, Pride. We will need to begin planning immediately." He said coldly. He wasn't going to fail twice.
Hohenheim had covered for Ed yet again, staying out of the house so he and Ed arrived back at the same time. He hadn't said anything as he walked beside Ed, but Ed didn't have to look up to see the sadness in his eyes.
"Hey... Do you remember Izumi Curtis? The one who taught me and Al alchemy. She's moved here with her husband, Sig... She's still pregnant, and she was wondering if you could help with the birth, you know, with your stone?" Ed blurted, trying to ignore the anger that always seemed to cloud his thoughts when he was with his father.
"Sure, I can do that." Hohenheim shrugged with a small smile.
"Thanks... Dad." Ed mumbled, but Hohenheim heard, and his entire face lit up as he beamed.
Maybe this will work after all!
Ed hated dreaming. All his dreams were of the future, of what he'd seen and done in the military, everything he'd failed at... This one was particually bad, because everything burned.
Every single cell in his body was screaming with agony, and he didn't need to look behind him to see the pole. He could just about feel the cold, numbness, past the pain. Steaming blood splattered the icy ground around him, and snow fell flake by flake onto his face like bitter tears.
There was a soft, gentle nudging at his limp hand, and he turned his head, as smoldering darkness drowned his vision for an instant, before his eyes brimmed with tears upon seeing what was waiting for him.
Nina...
"It hurts." The chimera whimpered, voice heavy with pain, exactly how he remembered it. "Big brother Edward... It... hurts..."
Then the chimera fell to the ground with the metallic clatter that had accompanied Al falling to the ground.
"Let's get our bodies back together, Brother!" A quiet, pleading whisper floated in the ghostly, still air, and everything was still.
Ed woke up screaming.
His mind still in a panicked haze, he stumbled out of his room, and down into the basement, it was cold there. It was where he and Al had slept while preparing for the transmutation, lanterns and books scattered over the floor.
It was where the suit of armour Al had become stood, empty and lifeless.
Ed curled up at the armour's feet, and fell asleep as it stood over him like a guard.
The next morning, he'd wake up with Al next to him, both of them covered by a blanket, and then he'd realise that maybe his brother wasn't as far away as he thought.