I am sorry guys, I made a big mistake last week. It was actually Al and Mei's 40th anniversary. I'm so sorry about that. It has been fixed.

We haven't heard anything about the LingFan family since Fu became heir to the throne. Let us fix that, ja?

As if the fact that Al had a book written about him wasn't bad enough, a year later it was a best seller and he was being asked to autograph copies. Every time Harold called him, asking him to come to another book signing he flushed a bright red and could hardly stutter out an affirmative.

He knew that Mei thought it was great. All of this children had managed to find out about it and called him to tell him what they thought of the book. Winry somehow got her hands on a copy as well, and was actually offended that he didn't send her an autographed copy. Then to his utmost embarrassment, Ling found out (his daughter probably told him) and decided that he was such a key player in the book, it made perfect sense that he should sign it too.

Al could just imagine what it would be like if Ed had heard about it. He would have teased him mercilessly.

And if that thought weren't comforting enough, Harold informed him a few months after the book hit the bestsellers list, that he wanted to write another book about the Fullmetal Alchemist's life and he could he do an in depth interview about Ed? And could he give him contact information for Winry Elric?

Al was quite honestly ready to be shot of the kid.

Or shoot him. One very well might lead to the other.

What happened to being a reporter? When did he suddenly become a novelist instead?

So Al was feeling very uncharitable towards the whole situation when his brother in law called.

"Hello?"

"Well! If it isn't my favorite humble champion of democracy! How are you Al?"

"Ling I swear, if you make one more joke about that book, I will ensure that Fu gets the throne."

"Actually, author of the Elric Treaty, that's what I'm calling about."

"… Fu getting the throne?" Al asked, frowning at the phone. "Are you feeling alright, Ling?"

"I could take on a dragon. But as much as I enjoy our chats, key participant in the Coup of 1915, I actually didn't call to talk to you. Where's Mei?"

"She's in our room." Al held the phone away from his face, covering the bottom half with his hand. "Mei! Ling's on the phone for you!"

"Ling?" he voice called back. "What does he want?"

"I'm not quite sure," he answered honestly as she emerged from their bedroom and walked down the hall towards the phone.

Mei took the phone, smiling at Al as she did so, raising it to her face. "Ling? What is it? Is something wrong?"

Al took the liberty of pulling two chairs from the nearby dining room so that both of them could sit. Mei smiled at him again, but she seemed completely focused on what Ling was talking to her about.

"I suppose so… No, I'm sure it's been done before, but why?" She listened for a few minutes more. "Is she alright?" Mei was chewing her bottom lip, something she only did when she was worried. "Okay… you just want her to be able to… of course. That's actually sweet, Ling. Yes, I know you're capable of it, it's just rare. Are you sure though?"

Mei snorted.

"You were young and stupid. Yeah, no, I can't think of anything wrong with it. I'm almost positive it's happened before. Though it's probably been the Elder's idea when the previous Emperor is too… exactly."

She waited a few more minutes, before nodding. "I'll tell Al. You're welcome, Ling. What about the rest of the kids? They'll be overjoyed. Goodbye, Ling." She nestled the phone back into its perch.

"What was that about?" Al asked, eyebrow already raised.

Mei didn't answer immediately. The she turned, still chewing on her lip.

"Lan Fan's not doing too well. She passed out in the middle of court the other day. It caused a huge uproar. She couldn't get out of bed for a day, and Ling hasn't let her out for the past three. They're not sure what it is. It might just be a bug. But Ling's worried."

"Do they need us to come?"

"No, he says they've already had enough alkahestrists look at her that she's quite ready to slice off the next one's head. Ling actually thinks it might have something to do with her automail."

"So should we call Winry? I'm sure she'd be willing to take a look."

"He asked us to. And he wants us to come with her." Al frowned.

"Why?"

Now Mei smiled.

"Because he wants us there for Fu's coronation."

"You're the only automail engineer I really trust to take a look at this," Ling explained as he led Winry, Al and Mei down the hall. "Luckily enough though, we've never had much problems with her automail before. Except most of the time when we have had problems, Lanny's been so desperate to get it make in working order that she usually ends up going to any mechanic we can get our hands on. She refuses to wait for a trip to Amestris or for someone to come here."

Winry pursed her lips. "Has she ever had two appointments with the same person?" She looked almost like she used to when she would visit Ed. Toolbox slung over one shoulder. This time instead of a mini skirt and tank top though, she was wearing a blouse and pants. Her greying hair was much shorter than it used to be, now contained in a bun almost reminiscent of Pinako's.

"Not since she got it. Like I said, she usually refuses to wait."

"I wish she would have. That makes it a lot more complicated. All automail engineers have slightly different styles and different solutions. That arm is probably a complete mess of patch jobs. No wonder it's causing her such trouble."

"We're not sure that that's it," Ling said. "It could just be a nasty bug going around, but I don't want to rule out any possibility."

"Of course not. At least she's not as bad as Ed was," she said with a slight smile. "He managed to come crawling back to me every few months with a busted arm or leg. Even after we were married he'd find a way to jump off a roof and jam the gears."

"I was so sad when I heard what happened to him… I wanted to come to the funeral, but I couldn't."

Winry nodded, the small smile now gone. "He probably would have complained if you had shown up about you eating all the food." Ling grinned.

"Well who can blame me? I like sampling other cultures' cuisine."

Mei snorted. "Sampling."

"Are you contradicting your Emperor, Mei?"

"Yes."

Ling grinned at her. For being just as old as the rest of them, really Ling looked really good. His hair line had receded a bit, and there were wrinkles, but he didn't look that much different from ten, twenty years ago. Mei suspected it had something to do with Greed. Even if the homunculus had left Ling, bringing all his souls with him, it had left an impression on Ling's soul.

"In here," Ling said, opening the door to their rooms.

Al and Mei had been in here a couple of times before. The food fight incident in particular came to mind. A couple times when Ling wanted to have a private audience with them. Usually there were separate quarters reserved for private reception, though, so despite the fact that they had been there before it wasn't a very familiar room.

They all headed towards the huge bed that, despite its size, did not take up most of the room. Lan Fan was sitting upright in the bed, looking decidedly unhappy.

"I brought you company, Lan Fan," Ling said cheerily as he led them toward her.

"Alphonse, Mei. Winry. What are you all doing here?"

"You, Empress, are long overdue for a checkup," Winry said brightly. "If I remember correctly, your automail includes the full shoulder joint, right?"

"Yes," she said, shifting so that left arm was facing the automail mechanic. "Do you need me to move?"

"No, where you are is perfect. I have a specific table in my shop, but whenever I make house calls I usually just detach and reattach the arm on a bed or couch, so you're fine where you are. Have you felt any discomfort?"

Lan Fan shifted a little, glancing at her husband who was still standing there. Winry caught the glance.

"Only a little."

"… Ling. Will you please leave me alone with my patient?"

"What? Why?"

"Al, Mei, you too."

"Why us?" Al asked, no as indignant as Ling.

"Because I don't want any of you in here. Now get out."

And somehow that word was final against the Emperor of Xing's.

The choruses of "Grandpa! Grandma!" were music to Al's ears at he was quickly swarmed by his grandchildren.

"This can't be Sydney, can it?" Al asked, staring in amazement at the beautiful 14 year old in front of him. Her blue eyes sparkled when she grinned at her grandfather. "And this strapping young man can't be my Zhou, can it? You're getting so big!"

"Grandpa! What about me!"

"Tucker!" Al said, throwing a hand to his forehead. "That can't be you!"

Even though Al had explained it, and Nina herself knew that she hadn't actually been named after Nina Tucker, she still felt a connection with the little girl that had impacted Al's life so much. And since she didn't want the tribute to be confused with a tribute to herself, she had convinced Zhou (and Al) to let her name their third son Tucker Alphonse Yu.

"And this strapping young boy can't be my granddaughter, can it?"

"Grandpa!" Evelyn shouted, putting her miniature hands on her hips, a perfect echo of her grandmother. "I'm not a boy!"

"Forgive me," he chuckled. He looked around, before reaching out for a hug from his son in law. "How are you Zhou?"

"I'm great, thanks, Dad."

Al grinned. "And how are you taking care of my daughter?"

"Nina's great. She's taking a bit longer to recover from Ling's birth, but she's almost back to normal."

"Great. And where is my newest grandson?" he asked.

"You've got to see him, Grandpa!" Sydney insisted, eyes wide. "He's so cute!"

"He'd better be, he's your mother's son. She was the cutest little girl I had ever seen in my whole life! That is until I saw my granddaughters."

"Daddy!" Al turned away from his granddaughter and grinned, hugging his daughter tightly.

"Oh, sweetheart, I've missed you."

"I've missed you too Dad. I'm so excited to move back to Amestris."

"We're excited to have you. Now. Where's my newest grandson?" Nina laughed.

"You're a bit late on the draw, Dad. Mom grabbed him as soon as you two stepped in the door."

"Oh, Nina, he's precious," Mei breathed, indeed holding a small bundle containing Ling Charles Yu.

"Come on, Mei. Grandpa's turn."

"What ever happened to ladies first, Al? I thought you were a gentleman."

"I am a gentleman," Al protested. "But I'm also a grandpa, so hand him over."

"So what's with the early coronation?" Al asked, walking along the hall side by side with the Emperor. Ling smiled thinly.

"I'm tired, Al. I've been Emperor since I was 15. It's been over fifty years. I've fulfilled my promise. I've taken all the clans under my wing. I've made Xing a nation we can be proud of. One the world can admire, rather than dismiss as too wrapped up their own ancient traditions to accomplish anything."

Al nodded and they walked a few more steps before stopping at a large window. Ling stepped closer to the window, which overlooked most of the Imperial City.

"And I'll confess, I want to see my own son on the throne. And I want to make sure Lan Fan sees it."

"Are you really that worried?"

"Not now. I don't think she's in any danger of dying in a few weeks, no, Lanny's too much of a fighter for that. She'll hold on as long as is humanly possible. She'll be just like Fu, fighting until the very end, and even slightly after. And if she'll at all let me, I'll use the Philosophers Stone to heal her. But Ed's death scared me, Al. He was the strongest of any of us, and he was the first to go. It really reminded me that as strong as someone is, you can never guarantee that they'll live. You never know when some illness will strike, or an assassin's blade will finally meet its mark."

Ling sighed, turning away from the window. "You weren't there when we first learned that Lan Fan was pregnant. She was… terrified. Not so much of the pregnancy, or the child birth, but of the thought that she would be the mother of the next Emperor of Xing. Terrified of the thought of not being a good mother, and through that, ruining Xing. It took me almost the entire seven months to convince her that she was the most worthy woman in all of Xing to be the heir's mother because I had chosen her. I loved her, and I knew she would love our child. And she was the only one who seemed to be able to control me, so she was obviously the only one who would be able to control my children."

"I didn't know that," Al admitted. Of course he couldn't have, he and Mei were still traipsing around the East while Lan Fan was pregnant with Jun-li. They didn't return home until the day Jun-li was born.

"I want her to be able to see it. Our son, that she raised. Who she nursed and cared for and taught. Taking the throne of Xing. Being a capable and competent leader. I want her to see it. With her own eyes. To know that she did not fail, but instead exceeded all expectations. I want her to see it." He paused. "Even though it's not quite the son we were expecting it to be."

Al smiled.

"Well you're lucky the ports aren't infected. That happens sometimes when someone doesn't get their automail checked often enough."

"What would have happened if they had been infected?" Lan Fan asked, feeling lopsided with her arm disconnected.

"They probably would have had to have been operated on. And that would have been a very painful operation."

"I'm used to pain," the ex-guard said. Ex because Ling had forbidden her from any more guard activities after she passed out. She had tried to argue; her grandfather had continued to guard him far later into her life than she was. Then he had argued right back that Fu hadn't given birth to four children and spent years chasing each of them around the Imperial Palace, and in the case of Jun-li, the roof of the Imperial Palace too.

"You did cut off your own arm," Winry admitted. "So maybe you'd be able to handle it, but you're still lucky you don't have to go through it. However, your nerves have sustained serious damage. It happens when someone has automail for decades. You've had yours for fifty years?"

"Give or take a few years."

"This makes sense then." Winry examined the arm. "It's worse the more the arm is disconnected and reconnected, but the longer you have automail, the more it wears down the nerves it's connected to. They aren't supposed to be connected to a port. Over time it causes irreparable damage. After 50 years… Considering you haven't been having any checkups or doing anything to slow the damage, it's amazing your arm is still working at all."

"It's that damaged?"

"I'm not surprised you passed out. It's a strain on your body to keep automail working at all, the older you are, the harder it gets. Especially with nerve endings as stressed at these."

"So what does this mean for me?"

"I can prescribe medicine that will slow the nerves' decay, but there's nothing I do to fix the damage that's already been done. The best thing you could probably do for your body would be to stop using the automail all together."

"Not an option," Lan Fan said automatically, shaking her head.

Winry pursed her lips again. "Alright then. I'll give you the medicine, but please don't over exert yourself. That's almost sure to lead to you passing out again. Just try to take it easy, and your body should be able to handle it. I know you're very strong, and you don't want to be treated like you're incompetent, but I am telling you this as a professional. If you don't take it easy and leave chasing assassins down to other guards, you will pass out again. Your body can't handle that much strain. And if you pass out in a situation where consciousness is crucial, you could end up injuring yourself and others, or worse."

"… Very well. I understand."

"Good. And I'm telling Ling too, so you're not going to be able to wiggle your way out. But you are okay to get out of bed now."

"Very well. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

It wasn't usual for the previous Emperor to be present at the ascension of his replacement. Most Emperors held onto their power until their dying breath. It had been known before to happen though. Usually when the Emperor is sick or mentally handicapped he will be forced to resign to his heir. Those were usually rare and shameful events though. This was full regalia and celebrated to its fullest.

Liwu and Nina both attended, bringing their families. Liwu and Quyi were glad to be reunited after all the years they had spent apart. Quyi's wife, a beautiful but quiet daughter of the Ching Providence's clan leader, got along great with Liwu, probably because they were so similar. Liwu was worried at first about how well his children would get along with Quyi's three, but they had no trouble at all. In fact all seven (well, eight if you counted Quyi, which most everyone did)of them had to be told in very, very clear terms with no loop holes whatsoever that if they did anything to disturb the coronation, they would be punished beyond belief.

Six year old Omer Edward and six month old Mei Iris Rahal made quite the splash though, what with their white hair, gold eyes, and black hair and red eyes respectively. Of course, if anyone was used to odd stares, it was Emily Ming Elric Rahal. She had Vien had a stiff, but pleasant reunion. The Emperor's only daughter was still unmarried, following in the footsteps of her eldest brother. However, unlike Jun-li, Vien was perhaps the most desired bride in all of Xing, strikingly beautiful and incredibly powerful.

Fu's own three children didn't great or talk to anyone, stood in their place watching vigil as their father completed the first stage of his ascension.

No one was allowed in the temple where Fu was spiritually prepared to take the burden of the gods' calling, but they were present when he was designated by both Ling and the Elders to lead the people of Xing with wisdom and courage.

The end of the ceremony was announced when everyone bowed down in front of the new Emperor, including his parents.

The first person to stand though, was the one that Fu reached down to raise.

Former Empress and ex-guard Lan Fan Yao returned the embrace offered to her by her son.

GUYS! YOU CAN VOTE ON THE ALMEI WEEK PROMPTS NOW.

I can't post the link here, but you can find it on almeiweek dot tumblr dot com. This is your choice to vote for the prompts we're going to have for AlMei week, please give us your opinions!