Here's chapter two! I was on a roll and decided to continue writing. Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Previously:

"Ed? You're back? H-how? You're supposed to be dead!"

"Report, Fullmetal!" Roy commanded, trying not to make his voice sound desperate.

Ed grinned, "Thought you'll never ask, Colonel Bastard."

The Prices

"First of all, I never died, idiot," started Ed, settling comfortably on Roy's desk, "The stupid Gate transported me to a different world – a mirror world of ours, but there was no alchemy there and there were a whole bunch of things that I never knew existed there. It was amazing, so many new things to learn, but of course, it was nothing compared to Amestris. I didn't want to leave Al and everyone, so for five years, I looked for a way to return."

"I don't know if it was fortunate or not, but I ended up meeting up with my father who had somehow found a way for me to come back."

Ed paused, the pain filled memories returning…

'Ed! Step into the middle, hurry!' said Hohenheim, pointing towards the center of a huge transmutation array.

'Why? Alchemy doesn't work here,' replied Ed, 'I have been studying this for years, but it doesn't work! What are you thinking, old man?' But he obeyed his father's words anyway. Hohenheim had been a genius at alchemy once, so it wouldn't hurt to try if it got him home.

His father grinned, 'Oh, there's a way, but I can only get you there. The rest you'll have to figure out on your own.'

Ed frowned, 'I don't understand.'

'You will, Ed, don't worry.'

Hohenheim clapped his hands and pressed down on the circle. As soon as Ed felt the all familiar tug of the Gate on his soul and body, he suddenly realized the true price of his father's actions.

'Dad!' he yelled, 'Don't do this!' He wanted to return to Al's side, but not at this cost!

Hohenheim just smiled, 'Say hello to your mother's grave for me, Edward. Goodbye, my son.'

'Dad!' Ed cried, reaching forward towards him, but the scene around him suddenly changed, and he was back in front of the Gate, completely whole – his flesh arm cradled around himself as tears dripped down his cheek.

His father was a bastard who was never there for him, but yet, he pulled through for his son at the very end, giving Ed a chance to go home with his body limbs intact…

At the expense of his own life…

"Ed, are you alright?" asked Mustang, his eyes clouded with concern. Ed had suddenly trailed off and didn't continue his story. There was pain in those dazed golden eyes, but as soon as Mustang spoke, they snapped back to reality.

"Yeah, sorry," Ed quickly replied, "Anyway, I got landed in front of the Gate again, but unlike all the other times where it just taunted me and made my life miserable, I got sucked into it. It had something it wanted to tell me, but it had no voice, so it used the Truth to show me."

Ed couldn't help but shudder at what he had seen. The Truth was even more frightening than the Gate, but it was intriguing and disturbing at the same time. He didn't know if he should fear it, or yearn for it.

Ed saw the doors of the Gate open and suddenly, he was being pulled into it with those horrible tiny black hands. He had screamed, fighting uselessly against it as he was pulled deeper and deeper. The doors had shut him inside it, and the Truth had invaded his mind. Images of blood-filled murders, distorted bodies, and unspeakable horrors filled his head. Screaming, he clutched his head with the agony. It felt as though he was going to break.

Suddenly, he heard the Truth speak to him. 'Edward Elric. I am the Truth, the Judgment of all living things. You have come to be judged once more, and I find you innocent of any sins. What you did as a child was a sin, and you have paid the price for that. However, it is not the worst sin in history. What I have shown you are the murders of innocent people who have been mutilated, tortured, and murdered in the worst way possible. What you have done is nothing compared to such evils, yet you still have gone where no mortal has dared to trespass, and you have never used the truth for sinful reasons, therefore, I have chosen you to return something to me.'

The pain in his head subsided a little, enough for him to come up with coherent thought, 'Why the fuck should I help you? You ruined my life!'

'You wish to return home, do you not? I can grant that wish, as long as you abide to my wishes.'

Ed couldn't fight against the suffocating presence. He knew that he would never see Al again unless he agreed to the Truth's conditions, and he hated it. He hated being cornered with no escape route. He loathed it, for it made him feel useless.

'What the fuck do you want?' he snarled.

'An alchemist that I have deemed as the most sinful man in the entire history I have existed has managed to escape his imprisonment, and he has gone to your world. If you do not find him and bring him back, he will kill everyone dear to you and many more with no remorse at all. You bring him back, you save everyone you love and you are allowed to stay in your world, no strings attached. But if you fail…I can no longer help Amestris and it shall fall to ruins and you will return here, forever trapped within my grasps.'

'Understand this,' spat Ed, 'I will do this, not for you or for me, but for Al and Mustang. I will not allow them to come to harm, do you understand? No matter what happens after this, you are never allowed to touch them! Have we come to an agreement?'

'Agreed, Edward Elric. Find Alchemist Adonai Negrescu and bring him here to meet his judgment once more.'

Edward found himself floating amidst the Truth, free of any pain or images. He struggled to escape, and just as he felt himself being pushed out, he saw a familiar figure sitting huddled in the corner of the sea of souls.

'Hughes…' whispered Edward, recognizing his lost father figure, and without thinking, he reached down and clutched Hughes's arm, bringing him along as he was being shoved out of the Truth.

"What did the Truth want?" pressed Mustang, a frown increasing the weariness of his face. Ed just wanted to smooth all those lines out, but he had a story to tell, and he wasn't even sure if the number one bachelor in Central would even like a guy like him.

"Someone had escaped its clutches and it needed me to return him for 'judgment'. Apparently, I was the best candidate for this job. In exchange, I was allowed to return home."

"Wait, didn't your father pay the price for you?" asked Riza.

Ed winced visibly at the mention of his father, and Mustang could only guess why. Ed never mentioned what happened to Hohenheim in the end, but by the looks of things, it wasn't good. He knew that Edward hated his father with a passion, but he hated people sacrificing things for him even more. He could only come to the conclusion that his father traded his life to bring Edward to the Gate.

"No," replied Ed, "He paid the price to return my arm and leg and to get me to the Gate. The rest was up to me."

"Then how did Maes get out?" questioned Mustang, shooting a look at his best friend who froze at the question. Hughes didn't meet Roy's eyes and looked down at the ground. Surprise filled Roy again. Why was Hughes filled with so much guilt?

Edward shrugged, "I saw him as I fought my way out of the Truth, and without thinking, I just grabbed onto him…" Ed's voice trailed off again, unconsciously rubbing his right arm.

"That doesn't answer my question, Fullmetal."

"Ed…" Hughes said gently, "You don't have to tell, you know. I can do it for you."

Ed shook his head, "It's something I need to explain, or I'm going to get lectured again by Colonel Bastard over there."

'You cannot bring him with you,' the Truth's dead voice entered his mind again.

'Why not? I'm doing you a huge favor already, and you've taken so much from him that he didn't deserve!'

'Equivalent exchange, Edward Elric. The price for you to return home is being paid through your duty, but this man has no obligation. What are you willing to give to bring him back with you?'

'You fucking…Everyone has got a price, doesn't it?' demanded Ed, 'Not everything has a value! Why can't you fucking understand that?!'

'What are you willing to give, Edward Elric?'

Ed paused, and looked at his flesh arm again. He was whole – it was something he had wanted for a long, long time. And then he looked at Hughes screaming wordlessly at him, telling him to just leave him and go, although his eyes held the hope of seeing his loved ones again. A small part of him wondered why he couldn't hear Hughes, but it was obvious that Hughes could hear him. He knew that there was a way for him to return to Gracia and Elysia. The two both missed Hughes terribly, and Edward could relate to them. He had also lost someone extremely important to him. He couldn't just let this opportunity go.

'You are the Truth,' whispered Edward, 'You know what I will give up. Just do it. He has a family waiting for him.'

'Then, the payment shall be taken.'

The next thing that Edward was conscious of was Hughes's frantic voice yelling at him, 'Ed! Edward! Are you okay?'

Ed felt dazed, pain numbing his mind. He moved his left hand to feel emptiness near his right shoulder. There was no flesh or blood, but in its place was an automail port. It was the same for his left leg…At least the Truth had left him the ports. He didn't have the time to undergo another automail surgery.

'Ed, why did you do it? Why?' shouted Maes, 'You have suffered too much! Why add on to it?!'

It was only a short time that Ed had felt whole again, and he felt at a loss without his arm or leg, but if it let Elysia smile again, it was worth it.

'You have people waiting for you too. I just gave you an opportunity to take the chance,' he whispered quietly, repeating his own father's words.

'Ed…' Hughes's eyes filled with tears, 'Thank you.'

'Let's go home. They're waiting for us…'

"Let's just cut the story short and say that I sacrificed my right arm and left leg to bring Hughes back," responded Ed, looking at his open palms thoughtfully. "I got automail as soon as we returned to Amestris, though they're pretty crappy compared to Winry's."

Ed looked so vulnerable at the moment that Roy could feel the familiar urge to just hold the young man in his arms and consol him. Instantly, Roy internally kicked himself. He had pined away for this man for five years, and he would be damned if he ruined everything between them by suddenly making a move when he wasn't sure about Ed's feelings.

Ed laughed hollowly, "It was hardly equivalent exchange. Hughes's life should be more valuable than just an arm and leg."

"No," said Mustang quickly, "Thank you, Ed, for bringing both of you back." To me, Mustang thought.

At this, Ed looked taken aback. He wasn't used to Roy's sudden kindness and his confusion could be seen plain on his face. At least one thing hadn't changed. Ed was still an open book, to some extent. Mustang could see something formable and dark hidden behind those golden orbs. They were still a complete mystery to him.

Slowly, the tension ebbed away and Ed grinned at Mustang, his cheekiness returning, "Getting sentimental in your old age?"

"Thirty five is hardly old, Fullmetal, but at least I don't have to worry about being mistaken for a twelve year old." It was a cheap shot, and Mustang knew it. Ed looked nothing like a child anymore.

Ed leaned forward a little, a dangerous smirk flashing across his features, "You implying something, old man? Is that wise? I just kicked your ass, you know, with no alchemy at that too."

Roy bent closer, his black eyes staring into Ed's soul, "Shall we have a rematch?"

"Bring it."

Their faces were so close that they could almost feel each other's heat. Mustang's self-control was ebbing away as he found himself lost in a sea of gold. Ed's lips looked ever so soft and moist…

Suddenly, something changed in Ed's expressions and an unreadable emotion flickered across his eyes, hidden quickly beneath a smiling mask of mischief. Mustang had a feeling that mask was the same as his commanding, cool mask, and found himself surprised once more to see that the spontaneous and short-fused chibi had managed to get his emotions under control in the five years they had been apart.

Ed leaned back, crossing his arms, "Another day then. Looks like Colonel Bastard is getting senile."

"For your information, I have been promoted to General," replied Roy, leaning back into his chair.

Genuine surprise showed on Ed's face, "Congrats. Then should I call you General Bastard then?"

"One more step to go, eh, Roy?" grinned Hughes, finally speaking up. He didn't want to miss all the fun between his best friend and the boy that he considered his son. "You did fine without me. I'm hurt…I thought you would become useless after my death."

Roy snorted, "Please, if I didn't have Fullmetal's and your promotions to back me up, I never would have gotten here."

"Promotions?" asked Ed and Hughes at the same time.

Mustang smirked, "Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes, at the event of your death, you were promoted to Brigadier General. Major Edward Elric, due to the impressive data that you retrieved in the last couple of years in Xing, you were promoted to Colonel. So, should I call you Colonel Shorty?"

Hughes's jaw dropped, "What?" he spluttered.

Ed's reaction was much more amusing, "Bullshit!" he yelled springing forward to grab Mustang's collar. Riza made a quick movement towards her gun, her instinct to protect the General kicking in, but realized what she was doing at the last second and released the tension in her body. It had been a while since she had seen that arrogant smirk upon Mustang's face anyway. Might as well enjoy it while it lasted.

"I wasn't even here these last two years! What the hell happened?!"

"We couldn't just say that you 'died', Fullmetal. That would raise questions. We merely said we sent you to Xing to do some work, and have Havoc forge your reports. You should thank us, Colonel," mocked Mustang.

"Whoever said I was going to continue being in the military?!" Ed demanded angrily, "I'm done with being a dog!"

"Then why are you in my office?"

"I figured you would know where Al is," he replied, still livid, "And you could get Hughes back into society so he can see Gracia and Elysia as soon as possible."

"Al hasn't been involved in the military since you left. He has no memories of your 'golden' years. Why would I know where he is?" Mustang said calmly, ignoring the glares of Hawkeye.

"What?"

"The first logical place you should have looked is Resembool. Yet, from what I hear, you came here first, otherwise you would've gotten better automail. Why is that?"

Ed froze. There was no way he could tell the bastard that he wanted to see him too. He couldn't give away his feelings now, after five years of mastering the art of hiding his emotions.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice shout, saying something like, "General, I have something to tell you!"

The doors burst open despite Riza's fast actions to lock the door. Havoc and a young teenager burst into the room, both a little bit flushed with the excitement.

A heavy silence fell in the office. Hughes had quickly shoved his hood back up right before the two came in, shielding his face. Ed had never removed his hood, so it seemed as though a cloaked figure had Mustang's throat in his hands.

Quickly, Havoc moved into position, drawing his gun and shooting twice at the threat towards his boss.

"No!" shouted Mustang and Riza at the same time, but it was too late.

Ed had his back to the door so he couldn't tell what was going on, and he didn't have the time to put his mask back on to find out, but he read the fear in Mustang's eyes just as he heard two cracks. He sighed. He just got back and now he had to deal with some newbie soldier shooting at him?

Swiftly, he clapped his hands together, the sound resounding across the room. A wall erupted from the table he was sitting on and the two bullets harmlessly hit the wood. Then, suddenly, before Mustang could sigh in relief, Ed wasn't sitting in front of him anymore. He had crossed the room with his automail changed into a blade pointing at Havoc's throat.

Ed's eyes widened in shock as he registered who it was that attacked him. Havoc's cigarette had dropped to the ground as he raised his arms in defeat, but what surprised him the most was not seeing his old friend. It was the younger teenager who had reacted fast enough to stand protectively in front of Havoc, the brown eyes determined and unafraid.

Ed let his arm change back to normal and reached towards the teen who didn't flinch.

Only one word left his frozen lips as the tears erupted in his eyes when he recognized who it was that stood in front of him.

"Al…"

Hope you liked it! Any suggestions to make this better? Just reviewing this would make my day. ^^

Chapter Three should hopefully come up soon!

Thanks for reading and please review!

~ Kanae Yuna ~