Wow! I can't believe how many reviews I got for that last chapter! Thank goodness none of you killed me over it, hehe. Hopefully you won't kill me over this one either. (No, it's not sad, ok? Just read it, for goodness sake!) Hopefully, you'll like the chapter. Feel free to review and even to offer suggestions. I haven't yet finished writing the story (I'm a few chapters ahead of all you readers), but your reviews can still effect the ending. So please, of all things, review and let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: I do not own FullMetal Alchemist. I think you all understand that by now, but I wasn't quite sure. I'm not sure if there's a reader lurking that goes to the last chapter and reads backwards or not, so I've got to double check and put this disclaimer on every chapter. (Hey, I had to come up with SOME reason why we put these disclaimers on every chapter!)
Oh, and by the way, there will be spoilers in the story from now on. So, if you don't want to read any spoilers, then don't read this story until you've seen the entire series. (I haven't seen the movie yet, so there won't be any spoilers from that in here.) Otherwise, enjoy!
The next few weeks were difficult for me and my family. I had lost my best friend, and my parents had lost their only chance for a son. We all knew that Edward had finally gone on to a better place, but that didn't ease the pain much.
As far as how I got by in school, my grades were suffering, because I just didn't have any will to try. I was treated fairly by the teachers and fellow students because my dad passed off the whole issue as a practical joke, but that didn't help either. Every time I looked in the mirror and saw my brown hair and blue eyes, I would remember how much I missed Edward.
I came home from school one day in early December. I went up to my room and threw my books on the floor. Homework was the last thing on my mind. All I wanted to do was mope around and think of Edward, so I climbed into my bed and went to sleep. I started to have a dream.
In my dream, I was standing in a vast expanse of mist. I looked around, but couldn't see anything but the mist. I was about to call out to see if anyone was around, when I noticed something showing through the mist.
I moved closer to it. I still couldn't make it out. So, I reached out and touched it. The mist cleared, and I was able to make out the form of a gigantic doorway. I was about to try and find a way to open it, when someone reached out and grabbed my wrist.
"You shouldn't try to enter the Gate before your time."
I turned to see who my companion was. To my surprise, it was Edward! "Ed!" I said, "What are you doing here? Why haven't you moved on?"
He looked at me with those sad, golden eyes of his, and said, "It is not yet my time either."
"But you died," I said, "How could it not be your time?"
Edward sighed, and then began to explain. "Everything that I went through, on both sides of the Gate: My father leaving us, my mother dying, my brother and I making a huge sacrifice to try and resurrect her, our years of journeying together, my coming to this side of the Gate, my own death and my soul being bound here, all provided me with valuable life lessons. I've learned much over the course of this lifetime, and my soul has reached a level of maturity that it never before had. Yet, all I went through, all my hopes, dreams, successes, failures, and losses, were all worthless."
"How could they all be worthless?" I asked.
"Through all that, I never fulfilled my destiny," he said.
"How could you possibly not have fulfilled your destiny?" I asked.
"I was so preoccupied with what I wanted out of life that I never bothered to consider what my mission in life really was. Until I fulfill that destiny, I cannot enter the Gate, I cannot move on," said Edward.
"But how can you fulfill you destiny now that you've died?" I asked.
"I have been told by the keeper of the Gate that I will once again be granted life, that I may fulfill my destiny," said Edward.
"But how is that possible?" I asked, "The dead don't come back to life!"
"I don't know all the answers yet," he said, "If I did, I would have spoken to you before now. I will see you again…soon." He looked at me one more time, and actually managed a weak smile. Then he faded out of view.
I woke up with tears in my eyes. Why did that have to be a dream? Why couldn't I have really spoken to Edward?
My mom and dad heard my sobbing and came into my room. They wrapped their arms around me and brushed the tears off my face. They didn't have to say anything. There was a mutual understanding between us.
When I finally stopped crying, I mentioned that I had had a strange dream about Edward. They encouraged me to talk about it, so I told them the whole story, remembering everything Edward said, word for word.
"Do you think that dream has any significance?" I asked.
"I don't know, sweetheart," my mom said as she brushed the hair out of my eyes, "Many people believe that dreams do hold significant meaning. I really don't know one way of the other. You'll have to decide on that for yourself."
"Just trust that we love you, and we'll always be here for you, no matter what," my dad said, and then he kissed my forehead. "Get some rest, angel. You've been through a lot lately, and we don't want you to get burned out." My mom and dad stood up, turned and left the room.
I lay awake for several minutes, just pondering the dream. Why had I dreamt that? Was it just my own wishful thinking that wanted Edward to come back? These questions wore me out, and I finally went to sleep.
Sometimes later, during the night, I felt my mother shake me awake. "Katie, wake up!"
I opened my eyes and sat up in bed. It was pitch black. I couldn't see a thing.
"Mom?" I called, "What's the matter?" No response.
"Mom?" Still no response. That got me worried. I got out of bed and made my way to my parents' room. I knocked on the door.
My mom's voice groggily said, "Come in." When I stepped into the room, my mom asked, "What's the matter, sweetheart?"
"I was just about to ask the same thing of you," I said. "Why did you wake me up?"
"I didn't wake you up," said Mom.
"But you must have," I said, "I clearly remember being shaken awake, and you saying to me, 'Katie, wake up'."
By now, my dad was awake too. He turned to face me, and said, "Your mother usually only calls you sweetheart, not Katie."
"But I know I didn't imagine it," I said, "I was actually shaken awake."
My dad thought for a moment, and then said, "Who do you know that calls you Katie consistently, and has a voice that could be mistaken for your mother's?"
"Hmmm…" I thought for a moment, "The only people that come to mind are Sheila and…"
"And who?" my dad asked.
"A-And Edward," I choked. "Oh my gosh!" I said, "The dream!" I ran out of the room leaving two very perplexed parents behind. I had to find out if my theory was correct.
I ran into my room and shut the door behind me. "Edward…Are you in here?" I couldn't see or hear anything. I was wrong. I hung my head and climbed back into bed.
I waited for several minutes, but sleep wouldn't come. I wanted to know what that experience had been. Suddenly, something grabbed my hand. I shrieked and tried to pull away, but it just held on tighter.
"Katie!" a voice said, "Can you hear me?"
I knew instantly who that voice belonged to. "Edward? Where are you?"
I felt him grab my other hand, and I heard some muffled sounds. I was sure that he was trying to speak to me, but I couldn't understand him.
"Edward, I can't tell what you're saying," I said.
"Can…hear…now?" he asked.
"Almost," I said, "But you're fading out on every other word."
"Is this any better?" asked Edward.
"Yes, I can hear you clearly now," I said, "Why couldn't I hear you before?"
"Everyone has a dominant psychic ability, and a secondary one," said Edward, "It just took me awhile to figure out what yours are."
"What are mine?" I asked.
"Your dominant strength is Clairsentience, which means 'clear feeling'. That's why you could feel my presence and my touch," said Edward, "Your secondary strength is Clairaudience, which means 'clear hearing' which is why you can hear me speak to you. Since it's only your secondary strength though, it took me a while to be able to make myself heard. I'm just glad that you have that ability at all."
"But, can't everyone see and hear ghosts?" I asked.
"No, definitely not," said Edward, "I doubt that you can even see me."
"Of course not, it's pitch black," I said.
"Then turn on the light," he said.
I turned on the light and looked around. Edward wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Where are you, Ed?" I asked. No reply. "Please, Edward, don't leave just yet."
Just then, I felt him come up behind me. I turned around, but still couldn't see him. The light switch then appeared to switch off all by itself. "What did you do that for?" I asked.
"You lose your concentration with the light on," he said, "You couldn't hear a word I was saying."
I heaved a sigh of relief. He hadn't left yet. I was glad about that.
So, I turned my face in the general direction where I felt his presence and said, "Edward, I had this dream today…"
"You received my message?" said Ed, "Good, that should make things easier."
"You sent me that dream?" I asked.
"Yes."
"Then, you really are going to come back to life?" I asked.
"I hope so, but I don't have much time," he said, "I need to come back before the days start to grow longer again, or I'll never get another chance."
"When do the days start growing longer?" I asked.
"December 25th," he said, "Christmas day."
"But that's only three weeks away!" I said, "How can you possibly come back in that short a time?"
"It's a slim chance, I know," he said, "But I have no other choice. I have to try." He paused.
"And I'll need your help," he said.
"MY help? What can I do?" I asked.
"I've talked with the keeper of the Gate. He told me that the only possible way for me to be resurrected in that short a time is by a human transmutation," he said.
"But I…" I began.
"He said that since it was meant to be, that no punishment would be given to the one doing the transmutation," he said.
I was too stunned for words. A human transmutation? Ed being resurrected? Was it even possible?
"Who is to perform the transmutation?" I asked.
"You're the only one that can possible accomplish it," said Edward.
"Me? I don't know anything about alchemy!" I said, "You'll have to finally someone else."
He placed his hand on my shoulder. "You're the only one who can do it," he said. "I was inside your body for nearly three days, you can communicate with me, and you're a member of the family I am to join."
I gasped. "You're going to join our family?"
"Not only that, but I will be your brother for real, not just figuratively," said Edward.
"I'm going to have you as a brother?" I asked excitedly.
"It's meant to be," he said. "The keeper of the Gate said that my meeting you wasn't a coincidence, that fate brought me here. I'm being given another family to help me reach my destiny this time around."
"Oh, I want this more than anything else," I said, "But how will I be able to learn to do a human transmutation in three weeks' time?"
"It's cutting it close, I know," he said, "But I'll help you as much as I possibly can. You'll be able to figure it out though, I'm sure."
"I sure hope so," I said.
"I'm going to leave now, and let you get some rest." I then felt him plant a kiss on my forehead. "Good night, sis."
I just stood there silent for a moment, surprised at what had just happened. Then he was gone.
Ok, now you can all feel free to kill me if you still don't like the way my story's going, hehe. At least you now have a taste of what I'm up to, so you're free to pass judgment now.
Heh, looks like Edward really did get used to the "touchy-feely" ways of the family after all, hehe.
Did you know that everyone really does have at least a little psychic ability? (In real life, not just my story.) I'm actually Clairsentient (why do you think I had Katie be Clairsentient? I know that ability best! Heh). I can always tell what someone else is feeling, whether they want to admit it or not, unless my own feelings are getting in the way. I get strange sensations when I go past cemeteries too. Strangely enough, I walk past this one funeral home nearly every day, and I don't ever feel that strange sensation. Maybe ghosts don't get restless until they get to the cemetery, who knows? Heh. I'm not very Clairaudient though. Maybe that's a good thing. Hehe.
Ok, I know, I'm weird. Feel free to say it. If I wasn't so weird, I wouldn't be able to come up with such an interesting story, now would I? Hehehe…All writers are just a slight bit crazy, I'd say.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed the story. Drop in tomorrow for the next chapter, and REVIEW! Yeah, reviews!