Huge thanks to all of the people who have supported this story! I hope you enjoy this epilogue!

Hughes's stared out the window in Mustang's office, watching the rain fall from clouds of an ashen gray color. It was early morning, he should have been staring at the sun rays on Gracia's face as he lied in bed with his beautiful wife. At least until his little girl ran in and made such a ruckus that they would be forced to get up.

"Hughes," Mustang entered his office, and the Liuetenant Colonel turned his head to him slightly before returning his attention to the torrent of rain assaulting the window. "What are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be on the next train to Central?" There wasn't annoyance in his tone so much as there was barely concealed concern.

Hughes gave a thin smile at that, but it soon fell off his face. "How are the boys?"

Mustang's face hardened by a notch, but soon he simply looked weary. "Not well, which is why I had Armstrong take them to Resembool this morning. I think they need some time away from East City, considering they are in pieces...literarily." The joke didn't evoke a chuckle from either man. The Colonel walked over to his friend and stopped when he was shoulder-to-shoulder with him, so they both observed the sky together.

"And how are you holding up?" Hughes raised a brow, shifting to examine Mustang with his eyes. He noted the man's uniform was rumpled, as if he had fallen asleep in it, and the dark smudges around his eyes that aged him by a few years. "You had a rough night too."

"Funny, I was just going to ask you the same thing." Mustang added, moving away to all but flop into the couch cushions after having a sudden fit of exhaustion drain him. After deliberating for a minute, Hughes saw the cushions just as inviting as Mustang did, and took a seat beside him.

"We should not tell the Elrics about the Tuckers, they've been through enough lately." Mustang said it all with a blank mask and even tone, but Hughes smiled at the obvious mothering -fathering in his head- he was giving the Elrics. Then he thought about what had happened to make Mustang say that and his amusement faded. The poor Elric hadn't deserved to die such a way, and that wasn't even half of what happened last night.

"To think I and Major Armstrong went there to protect Tucker from Scar." Hughes spat out the words, but soon composed himself. "And then we had to walk into the man-monster, doing that to his own daughter." His eyes hardened into hazel glass and his hands shook with rage. The Lieutenant-Colonel didn't know much about alchemy, but he could recognize a transmutation circle, and he had already told Tucker was a bio-alchemist. Due to this, Hughes had ordered Tucker to stop, and when the man lunged in an attempt to start the transmutation, Hughes fired without hesitation. It was a small mercy Tucker had sedated the dog and Nina. The girl didn't need to see such violence at her age. Hughes didn't even like the fact Al and Ed had to see such violence in their youth.

"How is Nina?" Mustang's tone was casual enough, but Hughes had a feeling all the past night's events along with the Tuckers' situation had affected him more deeply than he let on.

Yet Mustang had said he was the one with a soft spot for children.

"Well, the poor girl was really shook up after she woke up in the hospital. She doesn't understand why she can't see her father, but we convinced the hospital to let her dog stay in the room with her, and that made her happy. Though I'm having her sent to Central soon."

Mustang blinked, genuinely surprised as he turned to his friend. "You didn't." He saw the grin spreading across Hughes' face and resisted the urge to face palm. "You can't do this to me, Hughes. Your one daughter gives you enough photogenic material, you don't need another!"

Hughes' entire being brightened and his eyes twinkled in excitement. "Speaking of which, I haven't showed you my newest pictures of Elicia. See, we were at this park and she had the most precious dress-"

Mustang could only groan as a thousand pictures -how did he fit them in such a small wallet?!- were shoved into his face. When Hawkeye came in later to drop off some paperwork, she saw the two's interaction and smiled to herself for a brief moment. However, her expression lost all warmth as her brown eyes zeroed in on Hughes.

It was the night before Ed and Al left the Rockbell house. Though Ed had been hearing the call to sleep for over a hour now, the comfy couch and dim lighting in the room making him too comfortable, he did not lie down just yet. He could not put off the conversation any longer now that Winry, Granny, and Armstrong weren't around. Al must have felt the same way since he was standing next to him and staring at him in expectation.

"Brother?" Al's tone was soft and light as a gentle wind, but Edward inwardly flinched. Sometimes, he didn't hear Al's voice when his younger brother spoke.

He heard Alphonse's.

"Al..." Ed wasn't entirely sure how to start so he sighed. "I don't know if I can change the future... I don't even know where to start." He admitted, sounding more defeated than he had intended, but he couldn't help it when he felt so weary and anxious. If he couldn't change the future then every second that passed was another second closer to Al's deat- Ed couldn't even think the horrid word as his shoulders slumped to mirror his emotions.

However, Al didn't sound the least bit worried as he suggested, "Why don't we look at what we know? About time travel."

Ed blinked, having not thought of that, but then his mind dredged up the facts. "So there are a few possibilities." He recalled the conversation they had with Alphonse, which felt like an event from months ago, but in reality had happened merely a little more than a week ago. "One, this is an alternate world, which means we probably won't have the exact same future as our other selves. We probably don't have to worry about you dyi-being sent to the past because it won't happen in this version of the world." His eyes slid to the floor because a part of him wanted that to be true, he wanted that security so bad, to know Al would be safe. Yet, if that was the correct hypothesis...

"There's nothing we can do to help our older selves if that is true." Al's tone was mournful, and that was reasonable because Ed could already imagine Edward arriving in the future, only to find a future where Alphonse could never come back. "But I don't think that is likely." He sounded confident, which caused Ed to look up to him.

"What do you mean?" Ed tilted his head to the side, wondering what he had missed.

"I think time is linear, Brother." Al didn't reveal a trace of worry by tone or body language.

Ed blinked and his eyebrows pinched together in bewilderment. "What makes you so sure?" He refused to get his hopes up for without solid evidence.

"Because Alphonse was only here for a few days, but he changed so much." Al waited for Ed to say something, but when Ed just stared at him, he went on. "It really started when we went to the train to Liore. You left to get Alphonse a ticket and me and him happened to run into Lieutenant Hawkeye."

"Really? I didn't see her." Ed was partially astounded, but then was confused again. "How do you know that was a change from the original timeline?"

"Alphonse told me he and his brother never saw the Lieutenant there. I think that's because they didn't linger in the train station. We only did because you needed to get Alphonse a ticket." He watched the beginnings of understand spread on Ed's face.

"And I only got Dawnie because Alphonse helped me and he was the one who suggested we give Dawnie to Rose, which caused her..." Neither him nor Ed were quite sure the extent of Rose's injury and both felt guilt about it still.

"Yeah, so he altered the future there too." Ed tried to move on. "And that thing with Scar..." The subject made him feel sick, due to the memories it forced to the front of his mind. "Alphonse seemed to recognize him, but since Scar was after my future self this time, I'm pretty sure that isn't what happened in the original timeline." He concluded, and despite how painful some of the evidence was, Ed felt the slightest bit of excitement stir within his heart.

"See, Brother? If Alphonse could do that without trying, I'm sure we can intentionally change the future when the time comes." Al tried to sound encouraging to Ed, seeing there was still a speck of doubt in his brother's expression.

"How can you be so sure time isn't like a river?" Ed crossed his arms, pondering over the facts. "And if time is like a river, what if you being sent to the past is one of those events that will happen no matt-"

"Brother," Al's gentle, yet chiding tone got Ed to look up and he could sense Al would be expressing so much emotion if he had a human face. This was another thing he missed about Alphonse, seeing his little brother's expressions again. "I know you will change the future...because you promised Alphonse you would, right?"

It had been unspoken, but yes, in Ed's mind he had already vowed to save Alphonse no matter what, so he nodded to his brother.

"Then it's settled." Al said in a happy hum, not an ounce of worry in his voice. "Brother always keeps his promises." He said it so easily that Ed could only stare at him, completely stunned. Then the lightest of pinks colored his cheeks and he looked down, wondering how he had ever deserved such reverence from his devoted, little brother.

It was Armstrong who informed them about Nina's situation, during the train ride back to Central. The Elric brothers were certainly shaken by the news, and though Ed desperately wanted to find Marcoh's work, he needed visual reassurance that Nina was fine. Which is why they visited Hughes, who was delighted they had decided to stop his home as soon as they were in Central, exactly like he asked them to. Al and Ed were relieved when the entered the apartment, and the first sight to greet them was Nina and her new little sister Elicia giggling over a children's book. As the hours passed, the Elrics saw the way Nina's eyes lit up at the sight of Gracia cooking and how she merrily squealed when Hughes gave his new little girl a hug.

Sure, Nina still missed her dad since she had been told he had left like her mom, but the Hughes' were nice, and Hughes' friend -Mustang maybe?- let her visit Alexander at his house whenever she liked. Plus, Nina was never lonely anymore, and her big brothers promised to visit her every time they were in Central. She was more than content in her new home.

Yet the Elrics knew this wasn't meant to be. From how their older selves had acted in the Tucker's residence, Mr. Tucker was supposed to have had his way. To think Ed's decision to leave that afternoon had nearly cost Nina so much. He was truly in debt to his older self for not leaving him with such weighty guilt, and it only strengthened his resolve to keep his promise and change the future. Because if Edward had changed it once, so would he.

Al held back the large chopping knife with his metal arm, but Barry the Chopper went on as if they were not caught in such a deadly struggle. "But how could you know for sure?! How can you be certain you were really alive?" Barry was about to go on, but suddenly the words shot out of Al without his control.

"I know I was real because I've seen my living body!" There wasn't a single ounce of doubt in Al's voice and he questioned how he had even for a second forgotten his brother, his future self, and the undeniable proof -a gift really- he gave Al simply by existing. "Alphonse Elric was alive, and one day I am getting my body back!"

Barry didn't have a human face, but Al knew Barry was surprised when the force behind his weapon weakened ever so slightly. Al could understand his shock. He probably would have been disturbed by Barry's words if he hadn't seen very obvious proof he had a body, and already knew one day his soul and body would be rejoined in the form of Alphonse. Though that did leave him wondering what in the world Brother had been talking about earlier. What had Brother been so scared to ask Al about if not this?

It was the next night when Al received more undeniable proof of his body's existence. Ed seemed to be sleeping soundly in his hospital bed, which was why Al thought it was safe to rip open the envelope Hughes had discretely handed him before dragging Winry off -hopefully he didn't shove too many family photos in her face- to meet the rest of the Hughes'. The youngest Elric had a feeling he knew what was in the envelope, but still made a gasping sound when he pulled out the picture of Ed and Edward where their twin stomachs were exposed under the pale moonlight as they laid sprawled over each other in the dorm bed.

Though he was completely surprised when he found a second photo of him and Alphonse. They were both leaning over some novels while sitting on the dorm's wooden floor, which Al recalled had been when they were discussing their favorite books. Alphonse had been giving him recommendations so he would have something to occupy his mind at night. Though the moment the picture had been taken at, Alphonse was not looking down, but grinning broadly at Al over the short stack of books.

A small note from Hughes explained this surprise photo with, "Sorry, I couldn't resist at the time! You twins together were almost as precious as my Elicia!"

Al beamed in the inside, mainly because he now had something tangible to remember Alphonse by.

"So it's Hughes fault you've got blackmail on me?"

Al jumped, metal clanking as his head jerked to the side. "Brother!" He felt more than a little embarrassed at the sight of Ed's smirking face leaning over to the hospital bed to stare at his and Edward's photo. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

Ed shrugged, then winced when it aggravated his wounds, but covered it up quickly by saying, "You know I can't sleep that well when I'm in a stupid hospital."

"Do you want me to get a nurse for-"

Ed shook his head before he could finish. "It's not that I can't sleep, it's just-You really going to keep those photos?" His tone was slightly annoyed as he stared at the sloppy mess that was him and Edward sleeping, but soon the corner of his mouth lifted at the sight of Al and Alphonse.

"Well, I want to because it's all we have left of them." Al replied softly, nervous that his brother might confiscate at least one picture since he and Edward really did look a bit ridiculous.

Ed sighed, "Fine, just don't show Winry the one with me in it." He inwardly groaned at the big fuss Winry would make over his sleeping habits. She always complained he looked like an overgrown baby when his stomach stuck out his shirt.

Al lightly chuckled. "Why would I? It would be pretty hard to explain who Edward was since she wasn't with us when it happened."

Ed leaned back in his bed, a pensive look suddenly on his face. Al didn't get to remark on this though because Ed soon spoke up. "I can't believe I was such an idiot."

Al would have blinked if he still had eyes. "What?"

Ed was gazing at the ceiling when he hesitantly explained, "Remember how I told you there was something I was too scared to ask you?" He didn't wait for Al to reply because he knew his brother did. "I wanted to ask...if you hated me."

Al nearly fell out of his seat, stunned to his core. "What?! Of course I-"

Ed waved him off. "I know that now, Al. But I used to think that you hated me because I made you do the transmutation and now you're..." He gave Al a look full of so much remorse as he stared upon his little brother's metal body.

"No one made me do anything, Brother! It was my decision and we share the blame." Al sounded stern, and borderline angry, because Brother could be such a dummy at times.

Yet Ed simply chuckled. "I can't believe I ever thought that." He smiled down, his eyes staring at the white sheets covering his legs.

Al tilted his head to the side, rage rapidly cooling into curiosity. "What made you change your mind?" He regretted the question when the smile dropped from Ed's face and the guilt made his shoulders droop.

"Alphonse didn't have to save me from Scar, but he did, and...and you don't die for someone you hate." Ed's voice was as thin as paper, but Al kept silent on this and allowed Ed to keep his pride. Though once Brother had turned away from him and his breathing slowed as one did in sleep, Al whispered, "You do it for someone you love."

It was only once Hughes entered the phone booth and heard the gun click behind him that he realized this was it. He had told his family how much he loved him before he left the apartment this afternoon, but that was little comfort.

And when the gunshot went off and the impact sent hint to the ground, Hughes could only think about much he wanted to reassure Mustang who had sounded so desperate before that monster set the phone in the receiver, of poor Nina who had already lost one father, how his little girl was going to miss him so much -she's only three, would she forget him?- and his wonderful wife was going to cry so hard.

"Gracia." It was all he could say before his vision went black.

"Alphonse." Ed's voice was cool and oddly calm, nothing like the aggravated tone he had used to shout at Winry with before she went back to sleep. That mixed with the use of his formal name both perplexed Al and made him wary.

"What is it, Brother?" Al was genuinely confused when Ed glared heatedly at the carpet floor.

Then Ed lifted his chin to send Al a milder glare that was more warning than one of anger. "I don't want you to be there when I fight Scar tomorrow." His glare hardened when Al released a sharp gasp.

"B-But Brother, you can't fight him without backup!" Al stared at Ed like his brother had lost his mind. "Why would you say this?" He wondered if Winry had thrown the wrench harder than usual tonight because surely his brother wasn't thinking straight.

Ed's eyes narrowed further and their golden color burned brighter with the intensity of the emotions he felt. "It doesn't matter why, but when Scar shows up, I want you to leave."

"No." Al stated, and Ed blinked, not expecting such outright defiance. "You saw what he did last time to both of us. I don't want you to get hurt-"

"And I don't want you to be killed!" Ed roared and Al, despite being taller, practically shrank as Ed closed the distance between them. "He already killed you once and I'm not letting that happen again!" His nostrils flared as his chest shook with his haggard breathing.

"Brother..." Al felt his voice dwindle into something small as he stared at Ed. Mentally, he peeled away the outward appearance of anger Ed had and recognized that underneath it, there was an ocean of terror. Ed's eyes begged him to stay safe, to please not put him through that again because he had barely survived it the first time.

"...Okay, Ed." Al whispered, and kept his gaze on the ground. He was both miserable and pleased with his decision. "But I'll be in the area if you need help." His tone grew stronger. "And if you need help fast, you'll ask Ling or Lan Fan to join you, okay?" It wasn't a question, so Ed merely gave a short nod. As long as it kept Al safe, he would agree to anything.

Ed was in trouble. He knew this when Scar's hand flew above his shoulder, only missing his head by a centimeter. Apparently though, his allies -friends?- noticed his dilemma because suddenly a girl in black clothing shot forward at Scar with deadly precision, and Scar just barely dodged her kick.

"The prince has sent me to aid you." Lan Fan explained behind her mask before they both jumped to the side when a line of deconstruction came hurtling their way. Ed only nodded in her direction and then started another transmutation. Meanwhile, Lan Fan engaged Scar without fear. Ed unconsciously decided to watch her back because while she was certainly a warrior in her own right, she had no idea just how dangerous Scar was. Yes, Ed would make sure nothing happened to Lan Fan.

Al had noticed the black-haired little girl wearing the pink foreign clothing when she for some reason helped Scar. Yet it was only once Lan Fan, recovering from a concussion and other minor injuries she received during her fight against Scar, and the girl shouted each other's names again that the girl's name registered in Al's mind as familiar.

Her name was May Chang.

May Chang.

That was the name of the girl in the letter. The one Alphonse had cherished so dearly. She didn't look like how he'd imagined her, and quite frankly, Al had expected her to be older. Then again, how old was she? Al couldn't help but ask her before leaving Dr. Knox's house.

May peered up at him curiously, her dark eyes twinkling as the moonlight shined into them and turned them into a pearly onyx color. "I'm almost eleven, Mr. Armor."

After he went on a brief rant about how his body looked waaaay better than Brother's -sorry, but it's true!- to May, she stared at him with a love-struck expression and her entire expression lit up like the most radiant of suns.

Alphonse was right, her eyes did look like stars.

May poked her head out of the old, wooden shed to stare at Al's metal figure, shinning under the stars and moon. "Alphonse?"

"Oh, May." Al glanced at her before returning his gaze to the sky above. "I'm just..." He stopped because he had no idea what he should say. He didn't know May that well, but a part of him, wanted to tell somebody everything. Normally he would go to Winry, but she was already worried enough, and Al didn't want to add to her already heavy load.

May approached him, her steps so light he couldn't hear it crunch the snow. "What's wrong?" A breeze swept some snow into her face, probably freezing, but May seemed oblivious to this as all her focus was trained on the solemn boy.

Al shook his head to shake off her concern, but soon resigned himself to admitting the truth. "I-I want to search for Brother because I miss him and I'm so worried that he's been hurt and he could be..." He felt a knife of terror pierce his very soul at the mere idea that Envy had not lied and Brother was... The horrid, suffocating feeling that that had nearly tore him apart when Gluttony swallowed Ed and Ling made a sudden reappearance within him because Brother could...maybe already was...

Al heard his arm clang against his torso and looked down to see May had wrapped her arms around his side, and was looking up at him with and earnest expression. "I lost Xiao-Mei once, and I remember how it felt so...I know it's scary, but if I got her back, you'll get your brother back too." She said it so casually, but sincerely too. Her logic was simple, very much like the belief of a young child despite them being only about three years apart.

Yet Al didn't care if it was childish logic, it reassured him so he slowly lifted a his free hand and rested it upon her head. "Thank you, May."

They stood under the darkness of night, and though it must have been freezing outside for May, she stayed there until Alphonse felt he was ready to go back in and join the others. Though even then, May did not leave him. Her gloved hands held one of his, and Al couldn't help but stare at how his gauntlet hands dwarfed her petite ones by so much. Yet Al could also imagine a future time when his human hands would squeeze hers back and the warmth would flow between them.

The next morning, Winry couldn't tell which of the two was more heartbroken by May's departure.

"Rose!" Al stared at the girl in utter amazement. "You're...you're..."

Her ebony hair swayed and her gray skirt fluttered as she spun away from the food shop to face Al. "What a surprise! What brings you back to Liore?" Rose smiled and her eyes crinkled in fondness. Though the smile faded as Al continued to stare at her.

"But, you're walking without..." Al glanced down at her leg, not sure what he had been expecting to see, but not expecting to see Rose look so healthy. "I'm so sorry we didn't visit you after everything that happened, Rose." The apology spilled out because he knew it was long overdue. We were so worried, but so many things happened after we left-"

"It's okay, Al, I recovered really well thanks to you getting me to a doctor in time." Rose's voice held an edge of seriousness, but her smile had returned. "I might not be able to run anymore, but I don't even need a crutch to walk around like I used to." She said it all good-naturedly before a spot of confusion showed up on her face. "Hey, Al, where's Ed? Isn't he with you? And what about your other brother...Alex, right?"

Al was so stunned by how easily she brushed off her injury, he couldn't respond for a second. Then he registered her questions and quietly admitted, "No, we're traveling separately right now, and Alex...is back where he belongs." It was true in a sense.

"Alex?" Winry mummer behind Al, but he pretended not to hear.

"Oh, that's too bad, I actually really missed him-"

A large, fluffy cat suddenly strode up to Al and released a loud meow in greeting.

"Dawnie?!" Al immediately bent over to pet the cat, who rolled onto her back and gave him a low, pleased purr. "Wow, girl, you've grown up!" He giggled when the cat merely batted her blue eyes at him. Then Dawnie rolled to her feet and began rubbing against him.

Al would not see Dawnie again, but over a year later, Ed would disappear on the day of sixteenth birthday. Ed would not make a reappearance until a hour to midnight, where he would then stomp into the Rockbell home, place a very angry kitten in Al's arms, and unceremoniously dump himself in the seat next to Alphonse. "Just keep that furball away from me and you can kept it." Al would be speechless for a full minute, but then pronounce the kitten -Sunny- as the best gift he had received that day.

It was a standoff in the underground tunnel, Ed holding Envy in his gloved hand while Hawkeye held a gun to the back of Mustang's head. Scar allowed the scene to play out with a critical eye, but stood close enough to Ed that he could intervene if it became necessary.

Hawkeye bowed her head, but the gun never wavered like her voice did as she admitted, "I have no intention of going on by myself. This fight will be my last."

"I think that's unnecessary."

Everyone stilled, became stiff as statues at the sound of his voice. Mustang's enraged expression crumbled into one of complete and utter shock as he rotated to face one of the side corridors.

"Considering I'm not dead." Maes Hughes slowly walked up to the group and stopped once the light was fully on him, his expression was one of sorrow and grim determination.

Edward paled, Envy sputtered, Hawkeye's gun fell out of her hand, and Mustang looked terrified as he began to tremble all over.

"Hu-Hughes?!" Mustang's eyes were stretched as large as they could at the sight of his dead friend, or what should be a dead friend. "...Maes?" His voice became dangerously fragile as Hughes stared back him with sympathy. "No, no, this..." The Colonel shook his head as if that would make the mirage of Hughes disappear.

"How are-" Ed could not get his jaw or lungs to work long enough to finish the question. He could hardly draw a breathe in and keeps himself from hyperventilating

"No, that's impossible!" Envy screeched when everyone else had been struck speechless. "I killed you!" He struggled against the automail grip around him, thought it was an unconscious movement like shaking his head in denial.

Hughes glared at the green worm, his tone cool as he seethed underneath. "No, you almost killed me." His eyes softened from behind the frames as he regarded the blonde woman. "If Lieutenant Hawkeye hadn't advised me wear that vest under my uniform, those bullets would have killed me. Fortunately, it just bruised me, but the blood loss from Lust's attack made me pass out for a couple minutes."

Mustang turned sharply to his Lieutenant, giving her a look of betrayal. Yet Hawkeye's eyes softened into a warm amber. "No, I didn't know he lived. I only-" She turned to Ed, who gazed at her in uncertainty. "Your future self told me to make sure Hughes was protected that day, so I told him to wear the bullet-proof vest. Per your older self's instructions, I also told Hughes if someone made an attempt on his life that day, he should keep his head down until he heard word of the Promised Day." She turned back to Hughes, amazement making her eyes misty.

"I had no idea what Alphonse and Edward meant at the time." Hawkeye's eyes shimmered with the intense emotion. "I'm glad it worked, but I had no idea if you really died or had just went into hiding until now." She closed her eyes briefly, composing herself.

Ed however could not keep silent, his mind leaning on the facts because he could not handle his emotions right now. "I thought it was strange that your body had been burned so badly that we only knew it was you based on the pictures in your wallet and the witnesses who saw you go that way." He placed his free hand over his mouth to muffle a short cry, and then managed to go on, though his voice wobbled. "But everyone thought it was because your killer didn't want to leave behind evidence." He mentally chided himself for not realizing how Hughes' death seemed too similar to Lieutenant Ross'. If she had turned out alive, shouldn't he have considered Hughes could too?

"I'm sorry, everyone." Hughes stared at Ed for a second, but quickly his gaze was drawn to Mustang, who still trembled as if on the verge of a seizure.

Frowning in worry and feeling guilty, Hughes approached him, "Roy, I'm-"

He said no more as Mustang took three large steps to him, threw his arms around his middle, and finally allowed himself to fall. Hughes held Mustang up as the man burrowed his face into Hughes' uniform and his breathe hitched repeatedly as he were fighting off tears.

Ed and Hawkeye's faces melted into sympathy, and even Scar looked at the Colonel with a softer look.

"Come on, Roy, the Promised Day isn't over, and we've got work to do." Hughes told him flatly, but his arms were encircling the man in a tight embrace that said he had missed him too.

"This thing is my portal of truth. So I get to make the decision on how it's used. That right?" Ed gave Truth a vicious grin as he stood in front of the stone gate.

The Elric grew wary when Truth merely cackled, even employing the human gesture of placing a hand on his head as if he were astounded by the claim. "Yes and no." Truth's words only intensified Ed's wariness but he tried not to show it.

Though deep inside himself, despair started to drill into his heart, but it did not get a chance to fully pierce him as Truth, more collected now, said, "You may take your brother and leave with him. You've already paid the toll."

Ed's lips parted, confusion and hope flashing on his face until he just settled for an expression of amazement. "I...I don't understand."

Truth sighed. "This was better the first time around." He frowned ever so slightly, as if mulling something over. "You remember all is one, one is all." It wasn't truly a question so he went on. "Don't those words apply to you as a human?"

Ed nodded numbly, wondering where this was going as Truth went on. "If that is the case, you are one Edward Elric, but you are also all Edward Elrics. Since Edward Elric already came here and gave up his gate for his brother's body and soul, equivalent exchange has been upheld." He gave him a broad, toothy grin as Ed's eyes expanded in size.

"You mean my future self?!" Ed thought back to how he never did see Edward use alchemy and how Alphonse -he still missed him- explained that his brother's alchemy was complicated in the future. "He paid the toll for me?"

Truth's smile ebbed away and his voice carried a hint of exasperation. "Yes and no." He paused, observing Ed for a second. "Recall what just happened. How you regained your arm." He watched Ed unconsciously flex the thinner appendage.

A dark look crossed Ed's face and he clenched his teeth. "Yes, my idiot brother gave you back his soul to cancel out our exchange."

Truth nodded as an adult would to a young child finally grasping how to spell their name. "Yes, and the Edward you call your future self, gave his gate to me for Alphonse's body and soul, his younger brother's life. Yet, Alphonse's life ended and thus the deal-"

"Was cancelled out!" Ed gasped out in a rush. "So it gave him back his alchemy, and if I'm technically him, I still have my alchemy." He trailed off with a broad grin and Truth grinned back.

"Yes, you are quite the clever one. Not many humans are capable of beating me twice." Truth's form started to fade, but his voice carried. "Go ahead, take him home. The back door's right over there." He pointed back with his thumb, and maybe Ed imagined it, but Truth nearly sounded proud of him. "Goodbye, Edward Elric." His grin faded into the white nothingness.

The silver liquid streamed from May's eyes like rivers while she clutched his body as if he was the only thing keeping her from falling off a cliff. "I was so scared!"

Alphonse looked down fondly at May, who continued to cry into his bony chest. "Sorry, it was wrong of me to put you through-Mmph!" His golden eyes flew wide open as May's pillow-soft lips pressed against his chap ones. Maybe it was the fact Al had only regained his sense of feeling seconds ago, but her kiss not only left him breathless, but it caused his brain to cease to function and bliss shrouded every other sense he had.

Ed gaped at the pair, his jaw practically laying on the grass, and he almost dropped his hands from Al's back before he composed himself enough to fix his grasp.

Similarly, Hohenheim watched the scene and blinked rapidly, both uncertain and confused. "I..." He lost the ability to speak and it took him a second to try again. "I must have missed more...developments in my sons' lives than I thought." He rubbed the back of his messy ponytail in an embarrassed gesture. When May pulled away, Hohenheim couldn't help but wonder if Al's dazed look was the same one he had when Trisha kissed him all those years ago and whether that was normal, or it just ran in the family.

It was another night in Central hospital. Al was laying in his bed, golden hair freshly trimmed and body nowhere near as malnourished as it used to be, when he noticed Ed was giving him an odd expression. "Is there something wrong, Brother?" He frowned slightly when Ed kept staring from his seat in the chair beside his hospital bed. Wordlessly, Ed stood and then leaned in closer to peer into Alphonse's face.

Before Al could blink, Ed seemed to come out of his thoughts and whispered, "You look like Alphonse." Anxiety made the lines of his face become more stark as his lips curved down in a grim line.

Al's eyes dropped to his covers, taking a second to think, before they shifted up to return Ed's stare. "And you look like the other Edward." His eyebrows drew together as he concentrated. "I didn't notice it until now -the change was so gradual- but we're almost the exact same age as they were." He tried not to look worried at that, but something must have shown in his race because Ed abruptly placed a feather-light hand on his head and ruffled the short stands of hair.

Neither spoke another word that night, knowing what this meant. Knowing that time was short.

"Oh." His heart relaxed when he realized the kitten must of knocked over the trash lid. He quickly became so entranced by the feline, its tiny gray and white paws clawing at a half-eaten fish, that he never noticed he was being surrounded.

Until the cloth was shoved into his face and a burly arm wrapped around his neck from behind the bench. Al instinctively took in a breathe of the sweet and sour smell of chloroform, but instantly stopped. He tried to raise his hands, but two cloaked men grabbed his arms and manhandled him into lying on the bench. The first man released the hold on his neck, but continued to smash the cloth against his face. Al could just barely make out their faces through the darkness of their hoods -or was that his vision going out?- while his lungs burned from a lack of air.

"Get off him!" The first man was yanked back by a familiar hand and the cloth finally fell away. Al sucked in a breathe of fresh air right as the other shocked men were tossed in the air as the ground shot up in the shape of fists. He coughed harshly and his vision swayed until warm hands wrapped around him.

"Are you okay?" Ed's face was a fountain of concern as he helped Al sit up. Only then, did Al look note that three cloaked men were trapped in stone fists, which had been alchemically made.

"Yes, Brother, I just got a little dizzy." Al smiled up at Ed.

"I don't know why you alchemy freaks even asked me to come." Hughes stepped up from the alleyway he had been waiting in, his blue uniform swaying as he put his gun away. "It seems like you didn't need my help."

Ed shrugged, "We needed someone to officially arrest them, and Mustang is too busy arresting the leader and burning that time transmutation." He handed Al his crutch, which had fell off the bench during the struggle.

"Sure," Hughes sighed in mock-annoyance. "But you boys owe me." He didn't see Al and Ed flinch as he tugged out a roll of pictures and prepared to show off his three favorite girls.

"But Hughes," Al nervously tried to wars off the incoming attack. "We stayed at your place last night. We already saw Nina, Elicia, and Gracia."

"Oh, alright." Hughes placed away his photos reluctantly and Ed grasped his chest like he had dodged a bullet. "But you have to promise to come back for my little girl's birthday party. She's turning six, you know." He paused as he recalled another date. "Oh, and Elicia's turning four in a month! My little girls are just sprouting so quickly!" He gushed, thinking of how cute they would look in their party dresses and how scrumptious Gracia's vanilla cake would taste.

Ed rolled his eyes. "Of course we're coming back for th-" His eyes gained a distant look and so did Al's. They both collapsed with twin cries of pain. A ring of blue lightning flared around them.

Hughes was shocked, but rushed to crouch next to them. "Ed! Al! What's wrong?!" He felt his heart beat fast as a car when the Elrics continued to writhe in pain and then still. The lightning disappeared while his hands hovered over their bodies, dreading that something irreversibly terrible had happened to them.

Their golden eyes drifted open and the brothers sat up as with ease.

"Boys?" Hughes leaned over them, but received another jolt of surprise when he saw an overjoyed Ed toss himself at his little brother.

"Alphonse? Oh, Alphonse, you're okay!" Edward embraced Alphonse as if he had not seen his brother for years. "I'm so-I hate you and love you, idiot!" He sputtered, unable to properly express himself while Al hugged him just as tightly until he saw Hughes.

"And Hughes is here too!" Al beamed at the man as if he were a birthday gift. "I mean, I know he lived, but it feels like only yesterday he wasn't here." His voice ended on a sad note.

Though Hughes could only stare at them, attempting to figure it out until it dawned on him. "You're the other Elrics? From the future?"

Ed did not release Al, but turned his head to smile at Hughes in a way that made him look younger. "No and yes." He looked down, his brow furrowing. "I remember both timelines... I remember watching Al being sent to the future, but I also remember walking from Central library and running into Alphonse's future self."

"Same with me, Brother." Al agreed, not attempting to pull himself away from the Brother, who from one set or his memories, he had last seen crying over his broken body.

"So you're like a merge between the two Elric brothers?" Hughes felt a migraine coming along simply from voicing the insane possibility.

"There's one way to see for sure." Ed reluctantly untangled himself from Alphonse to clapped his hands and place them on the ground.

Nothing happened, not even a spark formed.

Ed sighed, shaking his head in resignation. "Figures, Alphonse got his life back so I gave back my gate. Not that I wouldn't do it again for you." He smiled at his little brother, who gave him a sympathetic look.

It wouldn't be until they arrived at Resembool the next day and Ed physically drew a transmutation circle and activated successfully that they would learn his alchemic ability was not gone, merely diluted since an Edward who could not perform alchemy and one who could perform the science well had merged into one body.

"But shouldn't other people be effected by the timelines merging?" Al questioned, staring at Hughes.

Edward shook his head. "No, I don't think the timelines merged as much as Edward and Alphonse just reached their destination in the future. Since you and me were that destination, we're the only ones effected by their return to the future." Ed concluded, sounding unsure but having no idea what else could explain this phenomena.

Hughes rubbed the back of his head. "You alchemists get freakier by the day," Eyes lit up the brown flecks in his hazel eyes. "But you saved my life," He gave them each a watery smile. "So I can't complain."

Ed and Alphonse rose and returned his grin with radiant smiles of their own. Because they remembered a time when Hughes was not there and was never coming back, and yet here he was.

Therefore, the next day, as they hobbled down the road to the Rockbell home and dwelled on all that happened during their journey, they would realize a lot of the memories from Edward and Alphonse were unpleasant really. Yet as brief, fun, and as painful as it had been to see a glimpse of a future, it had taught them a valuable lesson. And that painful lesson, when overcame, made Edward and Alphonse's future just a little brighter.

Winry saw her boys standing there, and finally cried happy tears as she gave herself a running start and flung herself at them.

They embraced.

I can't believe this is it, but, I hope you all enjoyed this story because I really liked writing it! Having to go back and rewatch FMA:B to keep this story accurate was a joy too! Also, changes are going to be made to Chapter 5, which will explain Rose's comments.

If you want more time-travel goodness, please be on the look out for my coming-fanfic Glance. It's basically the opposite of this fanfic, where instead of Al going to the past, Ed ends up in the future...right in front of a pregnant Winry. Of course hilarity ensues.

But for now, thank you so much for reading up to this point. Thanks for following, favoriting, and reviewing this story!

Goodbye (for now)!