AN: Updated within a week? Yeeees, dear goodness I did it! Huge thank you's, as always, to everyone who reviewed/favorite'd/followed Puppet! You're helping in keeping the story alive! ^_^ I think I sent everyone who reviewed a PM but if I forgot you, I'm sorry! Thank you Guest reviewers- I really wish you would make an account so I can PM you~

Without further ado, here's Chapter Fifteen of Puppet. I hope you enjoy!

Puppet Chapter Fifteen

Sunlight and warmth radiated down in golden, comfortingly enveloping light on the green countryside, reflecting off the occasional iron silo and giving a sense of calm to the fields of grain. Laughter ebbed and flowed, echoing across the slopes of empty farmlands as three children tripped over each other in an effort to be in the lead.

'Ed, slow down! It's not fair! Your legs are longer than ours!' a shrill, girlish voice called from the rear of the group.

The blonde at the front obediently began to lag and gave a brilliant grin before tackling his brother to the ground, giving Winry a chance to catch up. The Elric brothers laughed and whined at each other as they attempted to disentangle their limbs, all the while haloed by the tender sunshine. The blue-eyed girl finally reached them as the two boys climbed unsteadily to their feet. With a pout, she crossed her arms and glared at Ed,

'Where are we going anyway? It's almost dinner time and Mommy doesn't like it when I'm late!'

'Come on Winry,' the older Elric smiled, 'it's just over that hill.'

They moved on again, pointing out the birds that soared through the effervescently shifting clouds, squealing when a crow landed a few feet away from them, and then laughing when it took off with a startled squawk. Scaling the large hill that was more like a miniscule mountain, the children's young eyes beheld the sun's slow descent towards the horizon with wide eyes. The light bathed the hillsides and fields in golden orange, yet cast a dense and dark shadow on the other side of the hill that they finally crested.

The wide grin on Ed's face slowly began to fade as he tilted his head and looked down into the depths of the creeping shadows…

'A bit deeper, Edward, if you would.'

Ed's face jerked up and he stared at Artabanus' placid expression. The hand on the blonde's shoulder tightened a fraction, making Ed nod obediently and turn back forward.

The crater- just one amongst many in the wide, barren landscape- was widened with a touch of steel and flesh against the edge, pushing the earth away and down, past the usual seven feet that he was used to. He wanted to ask why this one was bigger than the others before it, but was given his answer soon enough when a few adult Ukreytans approached with small bodies dangling from their arms. One… two… three… four dead children were dropped carelessly into the hole. Ed wanted nothing more than to tear his eyes away but he was trapped, staring as dirty, lifeless limbs tangled amongst each other at the bottom of the ditch after rolling like ragdolls down the sloping sides.

Artabanus said nothing, and the next tightening of fingers against his collarbone had the blonde reaching back down and pressing his hands together before touching the packed dirt of the ground once again. Ed could only watch as the ground caved inward to bury the nameless children, sparing only the slightest guilty thought that he was grateful.

Grateful that James' face wasn't among them.

The sun burned bright and proud above the morbid scene, and Ed resented the warmth against his back, feeling betrayed. It should be raining or at least overcast, but the gods had the nerve to smile down at the horrendous actions of these people.

Tap... tap… tap.

Ed's brow furrowed at the all-too familiar sound of water spattering against glass and turned his head slightly, trying to locate the source of the noise. The barren, dusty landscape still remained around him, an ancient steeple or two rising out of the earth like half-buried skeletons. No apparent water source around that he could see…

'Edward. Edward Elric.'

The blonde whipped back around and raised a brow at Artabanus, who was just smiling at him idly.

'Can you hear me, Major?'

Pivoting once more, Ed stared outward towards the barren landscape, utterly confused now. It sounded like there had been someone right there at his shoulder…

Suddenly a physical force fell on his shoulder, but he was sure it wasn't Artabanus. Shouting, he tried to stumble away but felt frozen- all he could do was swing his arms in that direction, shoving the force away. A muffled curse and the separation of the object rewarded him. He stared incredulously in that direction before blinking once, hard.

A white world greeted him upon opening his eyes and he winced away from the lights, hands immediately rising up to cover his face.

'Edward, are you with us? Can you hear me?'

'The lights! Artabanus turn the damn lights off!'

There was silence for a moment and the numb drowsiness of sleep slowly began to leach away from Ed's muddled thoughts, enough for him to realize that something was definitely off. The material that was covering his body from feet to chest wasn't the thick duvet he was familiar with. It was so paper-thin he could feel a draft brushing against his stomach and the air was far too cold to be the mild temperature of underground.

And the voice… it was a bit deeper than Artabanus' wasn't it? And not accented at all.

'Edward, I've dimmed the lights. My name is Doctor Nelson but you can call me Isaac if you would like.'

Ed's hands dropped into his lap and his eyes snapped open as he sat up on his elbows. The room was definitely familiar in an awful kind of way. It was identical to practically every hospital room he'd ever been in before- white and washed-out pastel green covered everything. Craning his head, the alchemist looked up at the man that was hovering by his bedside; middle aged with gray streaking through his brunette locks, the man smiled down at Ed, as emotionless as metal.

'Where…' Voice failing him, Ed's eyes shifted past the doctor to the window, which was the only source of light in the room now. The sky outside was black but bright streetlights stood just outside the glass, blurred by the messy splash of rain against the transparent pane.

This isn't anywhere near the compound… how did I get here? Ed let himself drift inward, mind prodding at those blank spaces before giving up and reaching past it, trying to locate the last thing he remembered. I was yelling… why was I yelling? Straining himself to the point of gaining a headache, he quit and focused on the doctor once again, who was eyeing him closely.

'Where am I? What happened?'

'We'll get to that in a moment, Major. First I would like to do a few tests if you don't mind,' the doctor went to the stretch of cabinets and counters on the wall opposite of the closed door and began rifling through a few drawers. Ed pulled himself all the way up into a sitting position, head spinning and stomach lurching as a sudden realization finally hit him. If he'd been totally aware of himself, he'd have been shocked he hadn't realized this sooner.

Am I… I'm free… right? Artabanus is nowhere to be found and this doctor is obviously Amestrian…

But…

Ed followed through the doctor's commands- follow the pen with both eyes, close one eye, left one leg then the other, repeat with his arms- while mainly still fighting to grasp the situation. Glimpsing the man's carefully constructed smile, a cold lump formed in the blonde's chest and trilled up his spine.

No. There's no way Artabanus would be so careless as to let me free. This has to be some kind of test- a setup by Artabanus to prove my loyalty to him.

That's right. That made more sense. The consistent flutter of panic slowly began to ebb away as he nodded a silent confirmation to himself. Scolding himself for even beginning to hope, he redistributed all his attention to the "doctor". After the brunette gave a pleased approval at Ed's overall health, the alchemist finally crossed his arms lightly and narrowed heated golden eyes on the man, making him fall silent.

'This is great and all, but obviously I'm okay. I'd like to go back to Artabanus now. He's outside isn't he? Can you bring him in here?'

Doctor Nelson's expression shifted minutely, revealing something like unnerved concern. It was the first real emotion Ed had seen from the man and it made the blonde's heart contract painfully.

'Major… who exactly is Artabanus?'

With an exasperated scoff, Ed forced his darker emotions away and let the harmless clutch of annoyance take hold, 'Listen, whoever you really are, I don't like playing these sorts of games. Alright? I am in no way an idiot so go ahead and fetch Artabanus before I start getting pissed.'

'There is no Artabanus here, Major. And I am not playing a game. Is Artabanus the man who abducted you?'

Pausing, Ed let those words sink in before narrowing his eyes once again, a feral sort of look creasing his features.

'No.'

'Right,' the doctor gave him one final, measuring look before taking a step closer and folding his arms, 'listen very closely and answer me honestly, Mr. Elric. You are acting civilized and logical now, but just hours ago you were saying some pretty worrying things and became a bit violent, forcing us to sedate you. Apparently you were acting that same way when you were found in Albupow. Do you remember any of that? Do you recall the soldiers finding you in Albupow and bringing you here? It is very important that you answer me with total honesty. What is the last thing you remember?'

Albupow? That town that Artabanus gets supplies from? No, I was never there. He's wrong. He's just messing with me. This is a really weird test that Artabanus is doing… I don't get it. What is this supposed to prove? And what soldiers? What in the hell…?

Swallowing tightly, Ed shook his head and had to struggle for a moment before he could speak, 'No, I don't remember any of that. The last thing I remember…'

A hand tangled itself in his hair, yanking hard enough to bring tears to his eyes as his neck craned backward, exposing his throat to teeth that immediately clamped down hard enough to make him yelp. His muscles ached, instinct wanting him to escape- ESCAPE, GET OUT, I CAN'T GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN, FUCK!- but an invisible force held him in place, like he was some kind of fucking statue that couldn't move a single inch, no matter how hard his thoughts and adrenaline urged him. It was a painful and exhausting feeling. Hot, wandering hands slid over his shoulders and down his back as a chin settled itself on his shoulder.

'Tell me that you love me, Edward dearest,' was the warm whisper that tickled against his cheek, breath reeking of peppermint.

Something inside Ed cringed horribly when his lips mouthed the word and his monotone voice obeyed the command, and jolted even harder when those strangely familiar hands found their way to a part of his body that he would never have allowed to be touched if he had any control. But he was forced to sit perfectly still as the man that was practically curled around his body amused himself. The whole ordeal was mostly silent, with a few teasing remarks in a smooth, candy-sweet voice occasionally shocking Ed out of the emotionally-wracking turmoil. It was like the blonde's soul was ripping itself apart with each passing minute, a darkness sprouting and blossoming like some monstrous weed throughout his body. His heart was rotting, and was soon followed by a numbness souring in his mind. Any thoughts he had were forgotten the moment they came, and replaced with unspeakable pleas for it to end. For a long time, it felt like it never would. Minutes passed like hours in the torturous silence, with only the touches and the knowledge of what was occurring to keep him company.

But it did end, eventually, and Ed was treated to another type of torture when Artabanus pulled him closer, so that their bodies were connected from head to foot, and began whispering bittersweet complements and declarations to him like some fucked up apology.

'You're so perfect, Edward, so beautiful. I will never let anything tear us apart- you are my world and my life. Without you I am absolutely nothing. You are my reason for existing now. If I hadn't seen you, hadn't met you, maybe I would be dead and gone by now, having nothing to keep moving forward for. But you have changed me, Edward. I never thought I could love something as much as I love you. I love you more than life itself and will never… ever… allow us to be separate, ever again. It was a folly of the fates to have kept us apart for so long. If only I had met you as a child. All those wasted years apart. But perhaps that was a test of the gods- to keep you away from me so that I could learn on my own and experience the horrors of humanity, so that I could recognize a truly pure soul when I saw it. I am so grateful to be able to experience your light and perfection every day of my life. Edward… I love you. Do you love me?'

The fingers detached themselves from the blonde's hands, giving the alchemist a chance to answer for himself for once. Ed opened his mouth in a snarl, but a quiet, sardonic yet serious voice at the back of his mind whispered about reasoning and logic.

Damn you, Mustang.

'Yes, I love you,' Ed murmured as quietly as possible, so the broken and furious tone that was sure to be present in his voice was concealed. A happy hum resonated into his back and he was glad that the hands returned to his, silencing his speech and keeping him motionless; lest the bubbling agony and hatred were to break free of the fissured walls of Ed's heart.

Yes, I love you…

'Major… Mr. Elric? Edward?'

Snapping back into the present, Ed was greeted by a man that was hovering over him, just a foot away from his face. The blonde jerked backwards, barely wincing when his skull connected hard with a wall, too overwhelmed by a monsoon of panic that struck him at the sight of the stranger.

'Who the fuck are you? Where the fuck is Artabanus? DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!' Ed scrambled to the side when the man stepped forward, hand outstretched. Not even realizing when his hands met air, the short fall and then crash onto the floor was stunning for the blonde, momentarily paralyzing him. His heart was slamming against his ribs, making it hard to breathe and hard to hear through the thundering of rushing blood in his ears. And so he only realized that the man had come around the edge of the bed when a hand holding a needle was just a few feet from him.

Ed stumbled to his feet, hands automatically coming together in a dull clap of metal against flesh. Blue and white sparks exploded before dissipating to reveal a blade where his automail arm had once been. Running completely on instinct alone, as all thought process had gone out the window as soon as that soul-jarring alarm took hold, Ed's body moved into a low crouch- a fighter's stance that was ingrained into his very bones by now.

The man practically fell over himself in his retreat, shouting something as he fled the room without a backwards glance.

Thrown off-guard yet again, Ed maintained his stance while he rapidly took in his surroundings with a quick dart of his eyes.

White room, tacky bed, guy in a white coat. Is this a hospital? What the hell? I was with Artabanus just a second ago…

His vision then fell on the single window of the room, and of the storm raging outside.

There! I can escape through there.

Straightening, Ed moved forward towards the window, but before he was even halfway there the door to the room burst open once again, and this time over half a dozen men came swarming in. Ed whipped around to meet the new threat, raising his automail in front of him like a shield as he took in the men in what appeared to be… Amestrian military uniform?

He opened his mouth to speak… to ask something, demand answers, anything, but was slammed with adrenaline once again when the men lunged forward as one. Throwing himself to the ground as hands reached for his upper half, his legs kicked out, bringing at least three of the soldiers to the floor. Ed rolled to the side as two more men grabbed at him, punching backwards with a metal elbow when a hand successfully caught his shoulder. A loud shout of pain sounded and Ed was released, giving him enough time to jump to his feet and engage the remaining men in hand-to-hand combat.

Needles of pain bloomed in the knuckles of his left hand whenever they connected with a jaw or temple, but it was easily ignored in his current state. He dared not initiate his alchemy or else he would really hurt someone in this tiny, confined space, so he was left to silently bluff with his automail blade and then dodge through any attacks with his left fist, taking advantage of the speed advantage he had over his opponents.

One by one they dropped, until he was just facing one man. This man had his gun drawn and was leveling it at Ed with a face so blank it was like a mask. Ed scoffed and straightened, wiping at his face, where a stream of blood was dripping slowly down his chin.

Huh. I don't remember getting hit.

'Major Elric, cease and desist at once, please.'

'You really are military, aren't you…' Ed glanced at the ribbons and stars that adorned the man's rumpled uniform, 'First Lieutenant Amsel?'

'Yes sir,' was the immediate response- that of a soldier answering the command of a superior officer. Discomfort and confusion began to rise in Ed, and that all-too-familiar sense of panic was edging back into prevalence, darkening the edges of his vision. The alchemist bit it back and blinked, locking his eyes onto Amsel and trying to read the man's expression in an attempt to keep the panic at bay.

'Where am I?' Ed meant to ask the question with some form of authority in his voice, but it almost sounded like begging when it past his lips. Immediate frustration and shame with himself made Ed want to roll his eyes.

Maybe it was the begging tone to the question or maybe it was because of the question itself, but Amsel cautiously began to lower his pistol back to his side, 'This is the West City Hospital. It is September nineteenth, around 2200 hours. My name is First Lieutenant Rainor Amsel, under Major Conway and General Tulson of West HQ.'

I think I remember Artabanus saying it was September tenth, right…? Did I seriously lose nine days…? How?

'What happened?' was all Ed could voice, thoughts scattering as the darkness crept further into his vision. Unconsciously, his palms pressed together and the automail blade disappeared back into the shape of an arm.

'I was hoping you could tell us, Fullmetal.'

Heart stuttering and breath catching, the panic disintegrated and the blackness was scorched away by a brilliant heat. Ed whipped around to the door, eyes widening in disbelief as the shocking reality finally crashed down on him.

General Roy Mustang stood in the doorway, casually surveying the wreckage of the room with an obvious smile planted on his lips. When those dark eyes returned to meet Ed's perplexed golden ones, time seemed to halt completely, giving Ed a chance to take the man in completely.

The first thing that became abundantly clear to Ed was…

Damn. He looks like absolute hell.

Mustang's dark eyes were deepened further by dusky shadows that creased his skin, betraying the fact that the man apparently hadn't gotten much sleep lately. He was paler, somehow, and looked as if he'd lost about twenty pounds by the jutting of his cheekbones and jaw. Add the unprofessional slump to his shoulders and the fact that his ribbons were upside down, and Ed could only conclude that Mustang had just crawled his way out of some hellhole or other. But still, even run-down and exhausted-looking, Ed was transfixed by those eyes; the ones that had been haunting his dreams during the entire length of his captivity.

Mustang's intense gaze seemed to be burning right into the blonde's very soul, which should have made him uncomfortable and want to look away, but Ed was trapped in that stare. His heart beat quickly in a very different sort of way than earlier, stinging and swelling. It felt like some kind of communication was passing between them, from gold to burnt silver and back again, but Ed couldn't decipher it. It was just… warmth, relief, weary amusement, and overall, fear.

What can I tell him… what should I tell him… I need to…

As the stare lengthened and the silence began to thicken, Ed's heart pounded harshly, reminding him of all those emotions he'd bottled up. Something that had been gripping tightly onto his chest slowly began to loosen- he could feel it like the straps of boots being undone- and he struggled to tighten it once more. There wasn't time for that, he wasn't ready yet, but his soul unashamedly disagreed; finally releasing the seal entirely at Mustang's next words.

'It's been awhile, hasn't it, Fullmetal?'

Ed didn't remember his legs giving out, nor did he remember covering his face with his hands after his knees slammed into the tiles. All he could do was fold in on himself and sob. Crippled heart aching and cracking while his mind shut down completely, Ed found himself slipping into a state of hysteria. He was faintly aware of whispered commands given, followed by the sound of several pairs of footsteps receding from the room, but didn't even attempt to understand what was going on outside his bubble of agony.

It's so fucking painful. God damn it, Mustang! Why now, of all times…? Maybe this isn't real at all and I'm going to wake up in a minute.

Contradicting that thought, the feel of a hand hesitantly clasping his shoulder and the scent of burning oak filled his senses, enveloping him like a soothing blanket. Many moments passed as the pain continued on in Ed, making it seem like there was a knife being twisted in his chest agonizingly slowly with no end in sight.

Everything that had happened… everything Artabanus had done to him… it all came rushing to the forefront of his mind, closing his throat and not letting him speak.

The hand on his flesh shoulder disappeared suddenly, and Ed couldn't help but mourn its loss. That is, until it was replaced by a firm, almost harmfully tight embrace. Those strong arms wrapped themselves around his waist and forced him to unfurl, to lean on the shoulder being so unapologetically offered.

'It's good to see you, Ed.'

Barely able to connect that shaking, emotional voice with the proud man that he knew so well, Ed didn't know how to respond other than grabbing onto Mustang's shoulders as hard as he could. He needed to cement himself here, in this moment, to calm down.

Touching him, inhaling him, Ed reflected on all the times they spent at the bar, heads practically touching as they hovered over an alchemy journal that had become more equally theirs than one or the others'. Remembering the more common nights in which either he or Mustang became so inebriated that they practically stumbled over each other when walking home, Ed smiled through the tears.

Eventually the sobs quieted and the lurching stabbing in his chest subsided enough that the blonde could take a few deep breaths without the stinging pain accompanying them. Still, they remained in the same uncomfortable, yet tremendously soothing position for many long seconds after his sobs died away.

I need to tell him about James and Artabanus and the Ukreytans and the children… I don't remember how I got here but I can't just let this chance pass me by. Even if all of this is some twisted dream.

When Ed finally did attempt to pull away, he was surprised when Mustang just held him even tighter for a moment- enough that Ed almost grunted at the bone-crushing force of it- before letting him go.

The blonde smiled, meeting Mustang's eyes once again and understanding the fear in them. Mustang must have been so troubled those couple months that Ed was missing. Poor bastard General must have missed having a drinking partner that wasn't afraid to set him in line- whether he was drunk or sober.

'Another scotch and a... what were you having, Pintmetal?'

The cacophony of the densely populated and smoke-filled bar nearly drowned out Mustang's taunt, but Ed just managed to catch it, whilst in the middle of throwing back the remainder of his whiskey. He surfaced coughing and gagging on the burn of alcohol being inhaled.

'Fucking… bastard… jus' get me another whiskey,' the blonde spat between coughs.

After recovering and with a fresh drink in his hand, Ed mindlessly tore the binding out of his hair and raked it back away from his face, completely forgetting his mild irritation when it fell back in his face in favor of swallowing a mouthful of liquid fire. Although, the alcohol had become a lot duller by now. It pretty much tasted like water. Weird. Tilting his head back, he swallowed the entire contents of the tumbler in one go, head spinning wildly when he set the glass back on the table.

A mumble to his left made him turn his head, one hand still in the motion of running through his hair. He blinked and stopped mid-swipe when he realized that Mustang was staring at him fixedly, those dark pools of pale onyx vivid and heated with something passionate. Swallowing hard, Ed tried to figure out if the sudden heat in his own face was due to the alcohol or the way Mustang was absorbedly analyzing him.

'What was that, bastard?' Ed asked, totally unaware of the slur in his voice until a few seconds after speaking. Which made him laugh to himself even as Mustang leaned closer to him, eliminating the foot of distance between them.

'I said you're already being mistaken for a woman, Fullmetal. I think you should put your hair back up before one of those drunks try to steal you away.'

'Yeah, 'cause that's your job, right?' Ed shot back without thinking, before the General's words caught up to him, 'HEY. I DO NOT LOOK LIKE A FUCKING GIRL.'

That infuriatingly charming smirk was curling itself across Mustang's lips with all the contentment and smugness of a spoiled housecat, 'You certainly don't act like one. That much is certain. However, with your hair down, and the alcohol-vision these drunks are going to see you with, I am positive one of them is going to try and take you home.'

Scoffing, the blonde just shook his head, pulling his hair over one shoulder before glaring at Mustang's amused and somehow fond chuckle, 'Fine you bastard. I bet nobody will mistake me for a girl. I DO NOT look like a woman.'

The older alchemist set his chin in his hand after leaning an elbow on the tabletop, 'And what are we betting, pray tell?'

Ed's thoughts muddled sluggishly, taking several seconds to comprehend the question being asked before taking even longer to search for an appropriate answer.

'Drinks.'

'Drinks? I think you've had enough already, Ed.'

'No, I mean you're going to pay for all of our drinks when nobody tries to take me home.'

'Ah, I see. So you are going to pay for everything when somebody DOES try to take you home, then?'

'Not gonna happen, Mustang,' Ed downed the rest of his new glass and set it aside, vowing to himself that it was the last one.

It wasn't quite midnight yet, so the alchemists let their conversation wander from topic to topic, mainly alchemy but sometimes drifting to Mustang's team and Ed's family- Al, Winry, and Pinako. For a few rare minutes, Mustang actually got Ed talking about his childhood, when he and Al used to make statuettes for their mother by using alchemy. The Flame Alchemist was appropriately impressed by the skill level being described when the boys were just five and six years old.

There were strange moments that occurred every now and then that paused the conversation and made the men just stare at each other for a few moments. Something teasing or fondly insulting would be said and their eyes would meet, and Ed's heart would stumble over itself for some inane reason. It was ridiculous. Worse yet, it had been happening more and more frequently since it first started nearly a year before.

Luckily they always just… moved on, as if nothing had happened. It really was a relief. After that night that Mustang had taken Ed home and they almost… well… it had been a little odd after that. Mustang didn't really drink so much when they went out after that night. It was both frustrating and relieving for Ed.

Shortly after one such locking of eyes and jittering swell in Ed's stomach, Mustang rose to get himself another drink at the bar. Ed let out a deep breath and sat back, lifting his hand to his burning face and pressing his fingertips against his cheekbones, feeling the apparent blush radiating outward. Sighing and mind wandering, he didn't notice the man that approached the table until he was leaning over Ed's shoulder.

'Hey beautiful. I just wanted to say that you have the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen.'

Said eyes were now wide as saucers as they stared up at the extremely intoxicated man, 'Um… thank you?'

The man grinned crookedly and put an arm around the blonde's shoulders, 'Say, my house is just a few blocks from here. Why don't we go-'

At that point a red-emblazoned glove forcibly removed the man's arm from Ed before gently shoving the stranger away. Ed looked between Mustang and the man, head spinning as he tried to add two and two together. All he knew was that Mustang's expression was close to angry, and that was never a good sign.

'I think you should go back to the bar, sir,' the General said kindly, the grating undertones barely noticeable, 'my companion here doesn't want to go anywhere with you, understand?'

The stranger then said something along the lines of, 'She can make her own decisions.'

To which Mustang promptly responded with a dangerous smirk, 'HE is in no way sober enough to make HIS own decisions right now. Goodbye.'

Giving one last, long, shocked look at Ed, the drunk fled as quickly as was possible in his current state.

Mustang sat back down across from Ed and laced his fingers together under his chin, a victorious grin lighting his features in place of the dangerous smile from before. The General's eyes practically sparkled with righteousness as he jovially addressed Ed,

'Looks like everything goes on your tab tonight, Fullmetal.'

Ed raised a curious brow at Mustang, who was staring at him intensely, before the blonde burst into laughter.

'You bought me lunch… because I paid for our drinks last night… because I lost a bet?'

The blonde shook his head, still chuckling at the fact that Mustang hadn't already gloated over that situation. Warm amusement blossomed in Ed and he felt calm, which felt odd for some reason; almost as if he'd been extremely stressed or just went through one of his binge-training days. Pausing to think about that, he looked back up at Mustang and immediately tensed at the shock and deep worry etched across the man's features.

Wait… why did Mustang look so different? He was skinnier, somehow, his face leaner and eyes underscored with shadows.

Just as Ed opened his mouth to say anything or ask the General what was wrong, the pounding of boots echoing between the walls of a narrow hallway interrupted him.

Moments later a young man skidded through the doorway, and Ed immediately jumped up, grinning widely as excitement and a bright happiness washed over him like a tidal wave. Everything else was erased as he looked at his younger brother, who seemed just as shocked as him.

Al can be such a dunce sometimes…

'Al! What the hell? You're home early and you didn't even call ahead?'

Without giving his brother a chance to respond, Ed bounded forward and enveloped the younger- yet taller- Elric in a hug, 'Please tell me you at least told Winry! You know she wanted to meet you at the train station when you got back! So tell me how it was, give me the details, did you bring your research journals or did you leave them at the apartment?'

The words were spilling quickly out of his mouth but he just couldn't stop himself. Al had been gone for so long! All those worries and doubts of letting his brother go alone fled Ed's mind as soon as his arms wrapped around the warm, breathing, shaking body before him.

Wait. Why's he shaking?

'Al…?' Ed stepped backwards, hands still like clamps on the teenager's shoulders as golden eyes danced over the pale face, 'Al, what's wrong? You're really white. You're not sick are you?'

But then Ed met Al's eyes straight on. The look in the miraculous liquid bronzed …

Ed's heart dropped into his stomach as quickly as it had risen. The gears in his mind quickly began turning as he stared at the- for some reason- paralyzed Alphonse.

Mustang's sudden appearance change, Al's early return from Xing… and it looks like they've both been through hell and back.

And Al… why is he looking at me like he's seen a ghost?

'What… what happened?'

It was probably the somberness in his voice that finally roused the two of the most precious people in his life. And suddenly Mustang was at his side, expression matching the apprehension that Ed was feeling.

It was then that the blonde finally realized that he didn't even know where he was.

This looks like a hospital room. But I was just with Mustang at that café…

'Ed,' Ed numbly turned towards Mustang, 'Ed, sit down. I'm going to go get the doctor, okay?'

Ed wanted to protest, wanted to demand what the hell was happening, but something made him stop. He couldn't explain it, but as soon as that order was issued, he was already making his way to the hospital bed and taking a seat on its edge. This apparently concerned Mustang and Al just as much as it confused him. Before he knew it, Mustang was out the door and Al was sitting beside him, grabbing his flesh hand and lacing their fingers together.

The older Elric's eyes trailed down to their joined hands and he concentrated on the faint course of blood he could feel in Alphonse's fingers. That pulse was all the reassurance Ed needed for now. As long as Al was okay, Ed was okay.

'Brother…' Al couldn't say much more than that before the tears started falling.

'It's okay, Al,' Ed murmured, gently folding his brother to his chest with a careful curl of his automail arm, 'I don't know what's going on but it's going to be alright. We're together and that's all that matters, right?'

For some reason, saying that seemed to cause the younger Elric to just cry harder. Clearing his throat, Ed tried to brush away the confusion and worries and just held the larger body to his own, doing his best to reassure Al with physical contact. In most cases, ever since regaining his body, this usually worked on Al. Not today, it seemed.

Just what could have happened to make Al like this? Did something happen to me, or someone close to us…? I just don't get it!

Finally having enough of being uninformed, Ed swallowed tightly, 'Al, what-'

'Major, it's good to see you uh… back to normal,' said a voice from the doorway. Ed looked up to see what could only be a doctor, although he looked a bit wary already. Usually doctors didn't make that face until a few hours into trying to treat him, 'I would like to begin testing you immediately, if you don't mind. If you follow me we can get a scan of your brain- a new alchemic invention that will let us see any abnormalities on the surface of your brain. It should be a fairly simple process, as long as you cooperate with me.'

'Wait, wait, wait,' this is all way too fucking sudden. Have I already met this man? I don't remember it, 'what's going on? Why do you need to look inside my head?'

The doctor flinched infinitesimally before coughing slightly in discomfort, 'I'm not comfortable disclosing much information until we get those scans, other than that you've been losing time… or uh, I guess it would be more accurate to say you're suffering from some sort of memory loss. But I need scans before I say anything else.'

Memory loss…?

A sinking feeling weighed in Ed's gut, thick and heavy like a ball of iron, '…what's today?'

Pressure squeezed his fingers and he glanced over at Al, who shook his head, tears still glittering in his eyes, 'Not now, Brother, please. Just let Doctor Nelson do what he needs to first. Please.'

Mustang, who had been stationed behind the doctor the entire time, appeared to feel the same way as Al, judging by the turmoil in his dark eyes. Taking a moment to meet his superior's eyes, and seeing all the emotions laid blaringly out for him- fear, sorrow, regret, anger, guilt, and something tender and fragile that Ed couldn't name- Ed's decision was made.

He followed the doctor obediently, Al's hand still laced with his own as they made their way to the room with this alchemically devised machine. The walk was totally silent, but Ed couldn't help glancing between Mustang and Al, who were walking on either side of him and almost uncomfortably close. Al kept staring right back at him, tears shimmering in those blue eyes every time they met with confused gold. But Mustang, on the other hand, stared straight forward, jaw set with all the hard immobility of stone. That kind of stiffening to the jaw meant that Mustang was extremely pissed about something and wanting to go on a quest for retribution, Ed knew. Even in the smallest of circumstances those same indicators were present. Like when some lowly private misfiled an entire day's worth of paperwork that Mustang had rushed to complete on time. That poor private had ended up resigning after the talk Mustang had with him. At the time, Ed had blown up at Mustang for scaring the kid half to death, and still got a little upset when he thought about it.

That just goes to show; when Mustang decides that he actually does want to feel about something, he usually takes it to an absurdly high level.

Ed felt sorry for the poor soul that Mustang directed his rage towards this time.

So distracted by his inner monologue, the blonde almost ran into the doctor's back, only avoiding collision because of Al's hand yanking him back to reality. Doctor Nelson hesitated just a moment, giving him a final evaluating look, before ushering him inside the dark room. Mustang and Al were barred from entering, and before Ed could protest the door was shut and locked, leaving just him and the doctor alone.

With an apologetic smile, the man started over towards a large blocky machine that took up half of the room, with a wooden cot underneath and halfway inside it, 'Sorry, Major. If more than two people are present in the room, especially if they have alchemic abilities, the machine could give out false readings. And we want to be as accurate and as quick as possible. And with any hope, this will be the only time we'll have to do this. Sound good?'

'Sure,' Ed said, moving toward the machine, undeniably curious about its function. It almost looked like half of a coffin- the top part of the cot being closed inside the giant rectangle that was suspended from the ceiling by thick chains. He could faintly feel the energy of alchemy, but didn't think there was an array that needed to be activated for the machine to work. There was just an energy array in there somewhere; a different sort of energy array that powered several different functions of the machine. It was very interesting, and Ed would love to have seen the particular array being used, but there were more important matters that needed to be dealt with, as indicated by the doctor when he asked Ed to lay on the table and slide up so that his upper half was inside the rectangle.

Apprehensive, with his head spinning from the insanity that was currently going on, Ed obeyed the command without argument.

As he lay down and moved up the table so that the darkness surrounded his head, he thought about his students and who was teaching his classes at the moment. How many days had he been having this supposed memory loss? Had all his students finished their assignments correctly? Would his temporary replacement be competent enough for the course he'd set in place?

Worrying his lip with his teeth as he wondered about those things, blood was quickly drawn when a sudden, intense pain shot through the ports of his automail.

'Shit! What the fuck was that,' he shouted, his flesh hand flying up to cradle the burning automail shoulder. It felt like ice had been applied directly to the raw wiring, sending sparks and shocks of white agony searing through his torso and up his left thigh, making even his teeth ache in response.

'Major, are you alright,' called the doctor from somewhere beside Ed's head.

Blinking back tears and gritting his teeth, the blonde muttered curses under his breath before responding shortly, 'Hurry up with whatever you're doing, alright?'

There was the faint sound of papers whispering against each other, and then footsteps crossing the room and back again, 'We're all set, Major. You can come back out now.'

It took less than a second for Ed to scramble out of the machine, pain coursing through him with every movement. He curled in on himself on the edge of the cot, clutching at the iciness of his metal shoulder.

What the hell caused this? My automail has only acted like this once before.

Back when he was staying at Briggs Fortress, it had been so cold that even his updated automail would sometimes give him shooting, horribly distracting pains. He'd been in constant fear of getting frostbite around his ports and was always careful to pack on layer after layer of clothing. The pain he felt now was exactly like back then.

But that would only make sense if his automail had been through hell and not been maintained for a long time. It should not be this painful.

There must be a crossed wire or tangled nerve distributors somewhere, the blonde thought with a furrowed brow, fingers probing around his shoulder and port to see if there was anything protruding. Nothing became obvious, and it didn't actually hurt to put pressure against the outside of his automail, but whenever he moved, the shooting agony returned full-force. Definitely something inside the automail, then. When was the last time he went to see Winry…? About a year ago maybe? It was probably just time for some adjustments.

Maybe she has a new model ready, he smiled at the thought of the beautiful girl's bright face whenever she succeeded in even the smallest of modifications to her designs. All of a sudden, he really wanted to see her. Stare at her expressive sky-blue and ocean-deep eyes and be totally assured that she was alright.

The sudden urge made him a bit uncomfortable and yearning for Mustang and Al once again. Barely hearing the doctor's concerned question, he rose and hurried to the door, throwing it open.

Mustang was the first to reach for him with steadying hands, and then Al's arm was wrapping around his shoulders. But something wasn't right. He felt… itchy, in a completely metaphysical sense, jittery. Lost. All of a sudden he had no idea where he was and all form of thought fled from his mind, leaving him completely barren and alone.

Dark eyes were joined by watery bronze ones above him, darting over his face.

'What's happening?' Came a harsh, frantic bellow from the man with obsidian rings where his irises should have been.

Another, distant voice mumbled a reply, 'It looks like a seizure. Just don't touch him- wait for it to pass.'

'Brother! Can you hear me? Ed!'

Reality began to fade away as a violent fear overcame him, leading him into the awaiting grip of unconsciousness.

'General, please don't touch him! Don't-'

Warmth edged the cold dark lines that were constricting further upon the blonde, surrounding him and dampening the terror for just the shortest of moments. Something inside him reached for that touch, tangling intangible fingers in it, desperate to keep hold of that light of hope. But then everything faded away completely, the warmth retreating with it, and Ed was enclosed by a chilling gloom that was almost deeper than sleep.

'You'll be okay, Ed. Everything's okay. Do you hear me, Fullmetal? You're stronger than this. Fight it.'

'Fight it.'

…fight it…

AN: End of Chapter Fifteen. Hopefully nobody got too confused. The next chapter is going to be a lot lighter on the transitioning. But anyway- thank you for reading!

Let me know what you thought?