CW:

(Blood and Disturbing Imagery)


Chapter 12

Roy developed a fever during the night.

Ed was lying next to his poor guardian, pressing close to the overly warm body at his side in order to shield him from the worst of the frigid wind that had picked up outside. As the cold air whistled in through the entrance of the den, the sounds of leaf bare branches creaking from beyond the shadows, Ed began to lap soothingly at Roy's ears as he wrapped his tail protectively around his guardian. The dark chimera's breath came out as uneven and labored gasps, his body trembling weakly as the occasional, miserable moan escaped from his slightly open mouth.

Before the sun had even fully set, Ed had sensed that something was wrong with his sleeping guardian. The fever had come on quite suddenly and he had feared that Roy's wound had somehow become infected, but as he had peeled back the now dry and stiffened leaves he was greeted with a nicely scabbed over gash that showed no signs of infection. Still worried though, Ed had replaced the stale leaves with newer and fresher fronds along with thick vines and spider web to hold it all together.

It seemed to Ed that Roy's unrest was the result of many days of overexertion and any lingering shock that had yet to leave his body. He had hoped that as the night slowly and painfully drifted along that Roy would improve as his body rested and recovered from his earlier trauma. Though now the fever had truly set in and seemed to be in for the long haul, and Ed just hoped that his guardian would be able to make it safely through the night.

As Roy shifted weakly in his fever hazed slumber he let out a low whimper of distress as his white paws began to knead the moss below him in his discomfort. All Ed could do was lean in closer, continuing with his gentle lapping as he ran his tail comfortingly down Roy's pronounced spine. While his poor guardian suffered alone at his side, Ed too could feel his own injured and overworked body slowly start to deteriorate.

Ed had yet to find the time to tend to his own wounds as he had focused his full attention onto Roy, and now his numerous cuts were starting to sting as his bruised muscles trembled and begged for their own reprieve. He thought back suddenly to the mouse he had forced Roy to eat, his own stomach now snarling angrily at him for not taking any for himself. The last time Ed had eaten a filling meal felt so long ago now, and he was starting to pay the price for his carelessness…He felt so shaky and weak…

He shook his head dismissively, once again ignoring the silent wailing of his own body as Ed continued to keep Roy calm and sleeping. If his guardian could just get an uninterrupted night of rest then hopefully by morning he would be feeling much better. Though now the fever had seemed to have reached its peak as Roy began to thrash feebly and moan miserably in his sleep. His guardian's eyes remained tightly closed as he let out a quiet whimper that sounded almost vaguely like a spoken word.

"Everything is okay…Roy will be just fine…" Ed murmured softly as he nuzzled his guardian's cheek, affection washing over him like a wave of warm water as he settled closer to Roy. His guardian hadn't seemed to have heard Ed's hushed voice as the dark furred chimera began to whimper out words too quiet and muffled for Ed to hear. Roy did seem to sense his presence though as he felt his guardian lean even closer to him. While Ed knew that Roy was unlikely to hear or comprehend his words, he still felt compelled to speak them in the hopes that they could help soothe his guardian's troubled dreams. "Roy can make it through this, he just needs to rest…Ed will take care of him…"

Ed continued to lap soothingly at Roy's ears, feeling the dark furred chimera's fever blazing beside him like a wildfire as an even colder gust of wind rustled through Ed's fur. He turned his head towards the entrance of the den in confusion as he felt moisture seep into his pelt, barley able to hold back a surprised gasp when he saw what had caused it.

Snow had started to fall from the dark sky above, looking almost like stars tumbling from the heavens to Ed's exhausted mind. For a moment he was seized by a strong sense of wonder and awe as he continued to watch the frozen flakes fall, slowly beginning to cover the earth in a blanket of pure white. Though Ed knew that the sudden snow squall would only bring both he and Roy more trouble, not just from the cold alone as prey also burrowed down deeper into their own nests, he still couldn't help his almost childlike fascination with it.

Though a lot of Ed's memories were still shrouded in shadow and fragmented from the power of the transmutation, he could still remember that snow had been a rare sight. Ed had lived most of his life much farther south, never getting to truly understand the magic of a stray snow flurry until he had left his old home. Even now, after all he had suffered through; Ed was still mesmerized by it.

Ed's dreamy thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a low whine that dragged him back into his harsh and painful reality. He immediately forgot about the snow as Ed turned to gaze at the source of the sound. Roy was struggling weakly in his sleep, his lips pulled back to form a desperate snarl, almost as though he were facing an invisible foe. As his guardian's paws began to flail helplessly through the moss of their nest, softly pounding against Ed's bruised flank, he heard a low and trembling voice.

"No…" Ed was just able to make out the quiet words as Roy growled feebly at his unseen enemy. He seemed to grow more and more distressed even as Ed placed a paw to his guardian's shoulder in a soothing gesture. "No…they will not take him…"

"Roy, all is okay…" Ed whispered gently as he leaned forward to lap softly at Roy's cheek, resting his chin atop the dark head below him. His touch did nothing to placate his poor, distressed guardian as Roy let out an anguished howl before his whole body began to tremble violently from fear.

"N-No…Bring Ed back…Where is Ed?" The dark furred chimera moaned as his paws began to work through the surrounding moss. Ed only leaned in as close as he could; resting a paw across Roy's shivering shoulders as his howls morphed into desperate wails. "Give him back! Why have the scientists only taken Ed? Where have they taken Roy's pup?"

"Ed is right here, no one has taken him away…" Ed murmured soothingly, burying his muzzle deeply into his guardian's disheveled mane as he tried not to flinch away from the almost unnatural heat radiating from Roy's suffering body. "He is right here beside Roy…It is all just a bad dream…"

It was useless though as Roy only continued to howl desperately for the scientists to return Ed to him. Tears were beginning to slowly leak from beneath his closed eyelids as his wailing died down into anguished whimpers. "Please…please just bring Ed back…Roy needs his pup…h-he can't do this without Ed…"

A sudden thought rushed quickly through Ed's mind in a single moment. Knowing that his words seemed unable to reach his guardian through his fever hazed nightmare, Ed began to hum out a quiet song that had no true words or rhythm. As the soft tune reverberated against the den's stone walls, the echo serving as a makeshift harmony, for a moment Roy seemed to be at peace. While his feverish body was still wracked by the occasional violent shudder, he was no longer struggling or moaning, almost as though listening to the gentle sound. As Ed continued to hum, he was grateful that now his guardian seemed to calm down, but the peace was short lived.

Almost as suddenly as he had grown still, Roy was once again thrashing in their shared nest and howling out slurred pleas. As his guardian attempted to stand on his shaking paws, Ed ceased in his humming at once as he tried his best to keep Roy from accidentally hurting himself. For a moment his guardian's eyes opened slightly, revealing glassy and fever hazed onyx orbs before they snapped closed again. "Ed? Ed! Where is he? Where is Roy's pup? Why won't the scientists just give Ed back to him?"

"His fever is way too high…at this rate he'll only make himself sicker…" Ed thought to himself in despair as he placed both of his front paws down onto Roy's boney shoulders, trying to keep him from standing up. As his guardian flailed and snapped his jaws at the open air a sudden idea struck Ed as he risked a quick glance outside of the den. The snow was still drifting down to land in small heaps on the freezing earth…and Ed had plenty of clean, unused moss that was ready to soak up any sort of moisture…

"Roy, please lay back down." He said gently as he pushed Roy back into the nest with all of his remaining strength. His guardian didn't fight against him as Ed then held him down into the moss for a fleeting moment, Roy's little energy now seemingly spent. Roy let out a moan of pure misery as he settled into their nest, and it almost physically hurt Ed to leave his feverish guardian alone, even for a minute, but Ed knew what he had to do.

"Don't worry…Ed will be right back…" He said quietly, more to himself than to Roy, before he grabbed a wad of moss in his jaws and darted from the den. Ed stood in the small clearing outside of the den for a heartbeat before he dunked the moss deep into a nearby heap of snow. His warm breath helped to melt the frozen crystals as he felt moisture seep into the moss, crouching down with his muzzle nearly buried in the snow in order to get as much liquid into it as he possibly could. Once the moss was dripping heavily with cold water, Ed quickly returned to the den to see if his plan would work.

Roy hadn't moved from the nest, still a miserable heap of dark and ragged fur just as he had been when Ed left him. His guardian's howls had turned into quiet whimpers, and as Ed crossed the den to crouch at his side he placed a gentle paw to Roy's shoulder in an attempt to comfort his now quietly sobbing guardian. He felt like his heart would shatter into pieces at the absolute anguish and grief that was in Roy's quavering voice. "Ed is g-gone…gone forever…H-How could Roy have l-let this happen? He s-swore to keep his pup safe…"

With his mouth still full of soaked moss, Ed was unable to voice any words of comfort as he bent over his guardian's head. As carefully and gently as he could, Ed pried Roy's mouth open, spreading his still moving jaws apart as Roy continued to try and voice his sorrow. He then held the dripping moss over his guardian's mouth, gingerly positioning himself so that Roy wouldn't choke as the water slowly trickled past his jaws and down his throat. At first his guardian flinched away from the sudden moisture, but after a few seconds Roy was attempting to lap at the soaked moss of his own accord.

Ed placed the damp green clump in front of the dark furred chimera's parted jaws, well in reach of his guardian as he tore a part of moss from the rest of the patch. He could hear the sounds of Roy lapping eagerly at the wet moss as he then began to rub his own portion of lichen along his guardian's flank, letting the cold water seep into the dark fur as he began to hum once more. While trying to cool Roy's feverish body was slowly sapping Ed of the rest of his strength, he continued on despite how badly his paws had begun to tremble.

He had figured that if there was nothing that he himself could do to bring Roy's temperature down, then maybe nature itself could offer him a solution. No matter how much it took from Ed, he would happily give everything if it meant his guardian would be safe.

Soon Roy's frantic lapping began to slow as his body took in the much needed fluids, his whimpers fading away as Ed continued to run the moss through his guardian's damp fur. Roy was no longer thrashing in their nest or attempting to cry out, growing quiet as his once labored breaths began to even out.

Though Roy seemed to be doing much better now, Ed continued to run the damp moss along his guardian's body, relieved when he paused for a moment to find that Roy's temperature had seemingly dropped. Ed was still reluctant to cease in his task, too worried that if he stopped then his poor guardian's fever would flare up like a bonfire once more. Ed's still exhausted and aching body practically screamed at him, begging for rest, but he ignored it once again as he pulled the gradually drying moss away. Ed began to reach for the wet lichen he had left by Roy's head, his paw trembling from a deep fatigue he could not control.

As his quivering paw made contact with the damp moss, Ed was surprised to feel a soft and warm paw rest gently over his own. He pulled back just enough so that he could stare down at his guardian, watching as his dark brow began to furrow as though Roy was attempting to open his eyes.

"Just rest, Roy." Ed whispered soothingly as he nuzzled at Roy's cheek, heartened to feel that his guardian's fever had indeed dissipated. "Go back to sleep, all is well now…"

It seemed as though his guardian stubbornly ignored Ed's gentle words as his eyes slowly opened. Roy's gaze was still glassy from the slowly fading fever, but as his onyx stare met his own golden eyes, Ed could see a glimmer of recognition sparkle in their depths.

"E-Ed…" Roy breathed out in a sigh of profound relief, is body relaxing as his eyes slid closed for a heartbeat before opening again. His gaze seemed clearer now and was full of warmth as he stared fondly up at Ed. "Thank god…he is alright…R-Roy thought he was gone…but it w-was just a bad dream…"

"Of course it was…nothing could take Ed away from Roy." Ed murmured gently as he moved to crouch closer to his guardian's head, batting aside the moss slightly as he let Roy's head rest atop his paws. He nuzzled his guardian's cheek, lapping at his fur fondly before speaking again. "Everything is going to be okay now, and Roy can rest. Ed will take care of him."

"Ed is d-doing a good job…" Roy rasped softly as he continued to gaze at Ed with nothing but love glowing in his dark eyes. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as Roy stared up at Ed. "Roy is feeling much better now…h-he isn't burning anymore…"

"Ed is very glad that Roy feels better now." Ed lapped soothingly at his guardian's folded over ears, feeling Roy's warm breath flutter against his cheek as he rested his chin atop the dark head for a few moments. He was heartened to hear that Roy's breathing had evened out into a soft and slow rhythm, and he could no longer feel his guardian's heart pounding from beneath his still a bit too warm skin. Ed nuzzled Roy's head fondly before pulling away, shooting a teasing glare down at his guardian as Ed returned to his former sitting positon in front of Roy. "Now Roy needs to listen to Ed for once and get some sleep."

A short and rusty laugh escaped Roy's throat as he gazed back up at Ed, his dark eyes going wide for a moment as he seemed to look Ed over. For a heartbeat he was worried that his guardian's usually critical eye would see the numerous and still unclean cuts that littered Ed's body…taking in how his pup was trembling not just from the cold…Though could he really notice that Ed's body was finally about to give in at any moment now?

It seemed that his guardian was still a little too out of it to truly notice and take in Ed's growing unrest as his eyelids slowly started to drift closed. Roy attempted to keep them open for a few moments longer, stubbornly trying to fight sleep as he breathed out a faint response. "Now who is the one giving orders? Ed wins this time though…Roy is so very tired…"

"Then sleep Roy." Ed whispered as he leaned in closer to nuzzle fondly at his guardian's ears. He could feel his own consciousness slowly beginning to slip away as Ed fought to stay awake long enough so that Roy would never know about his body's distress. Ed pulled way just in time to see his guardian's eyes finally fall closed. "In the morning he will feel much better."

His guardian didn't need to be told twice as Roy soon grew silent and still, his once labored breaths now deep and even as the dark furred chimera finally fell into a restful sleep. Ed was very grateful that Roy was feeling better, so much so that he was able to get some peace from the troubling world around them. Without the fear of his guardian's scrutiny and worry, Ed finally allowed himself to slowly give in to his body's distressed cries.

"I…I feel so weak and sick too…" Ed thought silently to himself as he willed his tired and aching body to stand and move once more. He settled heavily back into his usual sleeping spot right beside Roy, collapsing into their nest as he finally gave in. Ed's body felt awful, as though his hunger and pain had eaten away at his insides, hollowing him out until nothing remained but pure and undiluted exhaustion. "Maybe I'll feel better in the morning too…after some sleep…"

While Ed was very skeptical of that thought, his own delirium starting to get at him, deep down he just knew that he had finally pushed his body well past its breaking point…and this was his price to pay. Ed was unsure that he would even be able to wake in the morning, but he was just so deeply, deeply tired…

The thought of Roy, his beloved guardian, making it safely through the night brought Ed solace as he felt the dark furred chimera instinctively burrow deeper against Ed's trembling side. He found just enough strength to curl as close as he could get to Roy, letting his head rest limply against his guardian's shoulder.

"Goodnight, Roy…I hope to see you again in the morning…but that is no longer up to me now…" Ed took in the sight of his guardian's peacefully slumbering face as he allowed his heavy eyelids to close. His weak and sore body finally gave in as sleep wrapped around him in a strong yet soothing embrace, darkness surging around him like a shadowy river.

The last thought that Ed had, before unconsciousness blotted all thoughts from his mind, was of Roy as he allowed the dark waters of slumber to sweep him away.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The sounds of birds chirping and fluttering among the rustling leaf bare branches alongside the feeling of warm and near blinding sunlight was what Roy gradually awoke to. The breeze blowing in from the outside of the den was cold, and combined with the sun shining right in his eyes Roy let out a groan as he buried his face beneath his paws and burrowed deeper into the nest. As Roy tried to get just a little bit more rest, slowly growing more lucid in the process, his thoughts began to grow troubled.

When Roy tried to think back on the night before all he could remember was darkness, so his mind then wandered to what he could remember of yesterday as a whole. He could clearly recall going to hunt with Ed, they had ended up separating in hopes of finding prey…and then there had been Ed's distressed howl. Roy remembered running through the woods, crashing through the undergrowth to stand at the top of the ravine. His pup had just lain motionless at the bottom as rocks and dirt roared ever closer to him…Roy had flung himself down the steep slope to push Ed aside…then things grew a bit hazy.

As his unrest began to grow, Roy began to twitch his paws and tail nervously among the moss of the nest, flinching when pain raced up his left leg with just a small and simple movement. Then more memories came rushing back to him, like flood water bursting through a dam. He now remembered trying to move his trapped leg, Ed helping to push the rocks that pinned him down aside as Roy howled in agony. Ed had then cleaned his wounded leg as best as he could before the two of them made their way back to the den. And then, once again, his memory failed him.

Try as hard as he might, Roy was only able to remember small bits and pieces of the night before as his sleep hazed mind tried to fill in the gaps. He could remember an awful and intense discomfort as fire had burned from deep within his own suffering body…but Ed had been there the whole time to offer soothing words when vague and now forgotten nightmares had flickered through Roy's slumbering mind. Then there had been the blissful feeling of relief as cold water ran down his throat and entered his burning body. He could recall the icy dampness slowly soaking into his fur as a soft and wordless tune echoed from all around him.

Now he could remember opening his tired eyes to see Ed, the honey colored chimera looking profoundly relieved as he had told Roy that everything would be alright, that all he needed to do was rest. But the image Roy saw in his mind of Ed was blurred and hazed over, as though he were seeing his pup through a dirty pane of glass. The only detail that remained clear as crystal was the fond glimmer to Ed's brilliant amber eyes as he had lapped lovingly at Roy's ears.

All of his memories and thoughts of his pup suddenly brought Roy back to the present as he finally noticed the feeling of a warm body curled close against him. Ed's soft and slow breaths rustled through the fur of Roy's shoulder, and he ran his tail lightly down his pup's back before finally opening his eyes.

Ed was still deeply asleep with his head resting lightly against Roy's shoulder, and he raised his head to get a better look at his pup's peaceful face. Warmth flooded through him when he remembered all that Ed had done for him the night before, forever grateful to have his pup at his side.

"Thank you, Ed." Roy said in a low and loving tone as he pressed his muzzle into Ed's thick mane of golden fur that ran along his neck. He breathed in his pup's familiar and soothing scent, basking in his presence for a moment before adding. "He really helped Roy last night, and Roy is very thankful."

Through all his loving gestures and gentle words, Ed had not so much as flicked an ear in response, his eyes remaining closed as his body leaned heavily against Roy's. He was confused for a moment, as Ed was usually a light sleeper alongside being the one of them to wake early…but the sun was now high in the sky and his pup remained unmoved by his actions. Something just wasn't right…

"E-Ed?" Roy asked hesitantly as he leaned farther back to look over his unconscious pup with a more critical gaze. As he pulled away Ed's head slid from his shoulder to land heavily in the soft moss below them, his pup making no noise as his completely limp body fell over without Roy's as support.

"Ed!" He cried out in fear and dismay, now able to see more of Ed's body as he lay partially on his side and completely motionless. From his new position Roy was able to see numerous cuts littering almost every inch of his pup's body, most of which were unclean and still covered in dirt and dry blood. A few were beginning to look angry and red around the edges, the skin swollen slightly in places as infection threatened to take its uncomfortable hold. How had he missed any of this last night?

"Idiot!" Roy cried out in a mixture of anger and fear, directing his words at both himself and his pup, with Ed still taking no notice as he raised his voice. "He should have taken care of himself right after helping Roy! Why did Ed ignore his own wounds?"

But there was still no answer from his pup, and if it were not for the faint rise and fall of his tawny flanks Roy would have thought he was dead. Ed looked so weak and fragile, Roy noticed with a pang of concern, as he realized that he was able to count each of his pup's ribs. He could scarcely remember the last time he had seen his pup eat a decent meal, but it must have been some days ago judging by how pronounced his spine was alongside his sunken in stomach.

Roy then remembered that the day before Ed had given him the only catch he had made that day, a small mouse that in the grand scheme of things could have been the final straw that had led to his pup's current condition. Guilt flooded through him at the thought that not only had he not even offered to share the prey, but Roy had failed to notice just how run down and weak Ed had been yesterday. What good was he as Ed's guardian to have not seen any signs of his pup's deterioration, to have allowed it to get to this terrible point…

"Ed, please…just wake up…" Roy whimpered as he gazed down at his poor suffering pup, placing a single white paw over Ed's neck to feel a weak and rapid pulse flutter under his touch. He knew that what Ed needed now more than anything was food, but as distant memories of last night replayed in Roy's head, he hoped that maybe some water would help his pup as it had done for him the previous night. He knew it was no true solution, but it might be just enough to keep Ed going until he caught something decent.

"Hold on, Ed." Roy said as he heaved himself to his trembling paws, ignoring the pain that raced up his battered leg as he gazed down at his pup. Even though he knew that Ed could not feel him, Roy carefully bent down just enough so that he could nuzzle his pup's ears. He lapped at the top of Ed's head in a gesture of comfort before whispering. "Roy will help Ed now. Just hold on for a little bit longer…"

Roy then grabbed a mouthful of dry moss from the edge of their nest, limping heavily towards the den's entrance as he gradually got used to hobbling along on only three legs. Roy cast one last concerned glance towards Ed, worried about leaving his poor pup for even a moment, before forcing himself to turn away as he stepped out of the den and into the sunlight.

He was almost immediately dazzled by the glimmer that reflected off of the thin layer of snow that now blanketed the world around him. As he had tossed and turned from fever fueled dreams, Roy had failed to notice that a storm had blown through during the night, and for a moment he marveled in its brilliance. He was grateful for it though as he buried his clump of moss deep into the snow, glad to not have to make the rather long and cumbersome trip to the stream for fresh water on three legs.

While Roy had been distracted by the snow and his task to gather water, he had nearly missed the telltale sound of prey rustling among the roots of a nearby bush. He quickly directed his attention towards the noise, watching as a cardinal hopped delicately into the lowest branches. Roy could see that one of its wings was bloody and dangled limp and useless at its side, clearly injured, but by what he had no clue. Still, he would not waste his chance of such an easy catch, grateful that for once luck seemed to be on his side.

Roy dropped quickly into a sloppy crouch as agony raced up his leg like lightning when he put pressure onto it, gritting his teeth against the pained howl that lurked at the back of his throat. The dog mind was suddenly right beside his own consciousness, offering to relieve Roy of his agony in order to catch the bird. He let the eager canine take over his own movements, Roy's pain fading blissfully into the background as the dog began to stalk towards its prey.

Making no noise, Roy felt his body lunge towards the cardinal, paws pressing the feebly struggling bird down into the snow as his fangs quickly dispatched the prey. The dog half reeled back then, giving a small bark of triumph as it relinquished control to Roy once more, stepping back into the recesses of their shared mind as Roy gazed down at the dead bird.

With a small whisk of his tail, Roy knelt down to grasp the cardinal in his jaws, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in his injured leg that had only grown worse from the hunt. He was happy though, this bird being one of the larger pieces of prey that he had seen in a while, and Roy knew that it was just what his pup needed right now. He eagerly carried the cardinal towards the den, tossing it gently just inside of the entrance before turning to collect the now completely soaked moss.

Ed still lay motionless in the nest where Roy had last seen him, remaining oblivious to the world around him as Roy crouched beside his pup's side. He placed a hesitant paw to Ed's neck once more to feel his frail and uneven pulse fluttering under his skin, relieved that his pup was still among the living. Very gently and with great care, Roy began to nudge and paw at Ed's closed mouth, the moss in his jaws dripping to land in a small puddle on his pup's cheek.

Once Ed's mouth had opened enough from the prodding, Roy moved his head so that when he squeezed the moss with his jaws a thin line of water dripped carefully into Ed's mouth and down his throat. At first his pup had no reaction, but once some water had finally entered his body, Roy was overjoyed when Ed let out a low groan and his brow began to furrow.

Roy continued to drip water past his pup's parted jaws, his anxieties slowly fading away as with each gulp of water Ed seemed to come back to life. As those familiar and beautiful golden eyes gradually opened, looking back up at Roy in a daze, he nearly howled his joy aloud. With a small pang of guilt he wondered if Ed had felt these similar emotions last night when he had finally been able to soothe Roy and lower his temperature to see his guardian's eyes open…to know that he was simply alive…

"R-Roy…" His pup's raspy voice broke Roy of his reverie as he gazed back down at Ed. His pup seemed to want to say more but when a few stray drops of water went down his throat the wrong way he started to cough. Roy quickly set the moss aside, leaving it well within Ed's reach if he wanted a drink, and covered his pup's face with joyful licks.

"Oh, Ed…" Roy managed to say through his frantic yet relieved lapping. "Don't ever scare Roy like that again! He was so, so worried…"

After a few moments of fussing, Roy finally pulled back to see a small smile on Ed's face as he gazed fondly up at his guardian. He could tell that Ed was still feeling too weak to talk much, or even move, but the happiness and relief in his yellow eyes spoke more words than he could say.

"Ed is glad to see that Roy…made it through the night…" Ed's voice was low and trembled as he spoke, as if just the simple act of talking was too much of a strain on his already exhausted body. He took in a deep and ragged breath before attempting to continue speaking. "He was…afraid that Roy…w-wouldn't…"

"Hush now, Ed." Roy said in a light yet softly stern tone as he placed a paw to his pup's open mouth in order to get him to stop talking. A familiar flash of annoyance glimmered in Ed's eyes for a moment and Roy felt amusement bubble up inside him with the realization that his pup was going to be just fine after some rest. "Ed needs to save his strength, but Roy has something special for him."

Before Ed could say any more Roy quickly turned towards the den's entrance, walking over to collect his prey as he heard his pup let out a small huff of breath. Once he turned around and Ed caught sight of the cardinal, his irritation faded away as his golden eyes lit up with an almost feral hunger. Roy limped to Ed's side and set the bird down next to the soaked moss at his head, positioning himself so that he was pressing supportively at his pup's side.

"The bird is for Ed, and he'd better eat it." Roy ordered as he helped to get Ed into a better position so that he could properly reach the prey. He stayed at his pup's side, supporting him as Ed's body began to shake from the effort of simply staying propped up on his elbows. "While he eats Roy will clean some of Ed's wounds, since his pup never thought to take care of himself."

Before Roy could even finish his sentence Ed dove eagerly towards the bird, tearing through its feathers and flesh with a voracity that both scared and amused him. As Ed devoured the prey, Roy began to gently lap at the few wounds that he could reach from his position, licking away any dirt and blood. He was glad to see that none of the cuts had gotten the chance to develop any sort of infection during the night.

Roy did his best to reach as many of Ed's wounds as possible, guilt and sorrow coursing through him as he listened to the sounds of his pup desperately ripping through his prey. He should have done something before things had gotten this bad…what if Ed had actually died from overexertion? Roy had no clue how he'd be able to cope with the knowledge that his dear pup had worked himself to death, and he vowed then and there that he'd never make the same mistake again.

The sounds of bones being crushed by strong jaws brought Roy out of his troubled thoughts as he turned to see that Ed had finished the bird in an impressive, yet alarming time. He thought briefly about pulling the remains away to bury outside, but the absolutely feral look on his pup's face gave him pause.

"Ed?" Roy asked as he watched the tawny chimera begin to gnaw on another spindly bone that soon cracked from between his teeth. He looked like a stranger to Roy, a mindless beast that only lusted for destruction and chaos…had Ed's tired and nearly starved mind finally given in to the canine within? Was there even anything left of his pup that he knew so well and loved so dearly? When he received no answer, Roy gently nudged Ed's shoulder with his nose before he asked again in a concerned voice. "Is Ed still there?"

At first there wasn't any sort of response, but when Roy gently nuzzled the side of his pup's neck Ed seemed to snap out of his trance. His golden eyes once again glimmered with their usual humanlike intelligence as he turned his head to look back at Roy. Seeming to take in his worried expression, Ed's eyes widened first with confusion before glowing with a sudden clarity and understanding.

"S-Sorry…" His pup said as he lowered his head to gaze down at what little remained of the nearly destroyed bird. Ed's body began to tremble, not just from exhaustion but from guilt as well. "He lost himself there for a bit, but Ed is okay now."

Roy lapped soothingly at his pup's ears as he pressed closer against his still lightly shivering body. Ed tensed for a heartbeat before relaxing against his touch, his head lightly pressed against Roy's neck before Roy replied. "It is alright, Roy understands."

The two of them huddled together for a long moment, both simply relaxing in the presence of the other until Roy was certain not only that Ed was truly himself once more, but that he was able to lie in a more upright position in the nest on his own. Roy slowly got to his paws with a low grunt, speaking up when Ed gave him a confused look. "Roy is going to clean all of Ed's cuts right now, so just stay still so Roy can do this quick."

For once Ed seemed to follow his orders as he nodded before settling more comfortably down into their mossy nest. Roy then reached over to grab a bit of the still wet moss in his jaws as he limped around his pup to inspect his other wounds more critically. He heard Ed let out a small sigh of relief when Roy began to press the moss against his numerous cuts, the sound soon replaced by the noise of his pup lapping at the remaining moss.

As Roy silently cleaned Ed's wounds he felt the golden chimera relax against his gentle touch, his eyes slowly closing as he continued on. After a few minutes it seemed that his pup had nodded off, his breathing becoming more deep and even as Roy cleaned each cut, happy that Ed seemed to regain some of his strength as he lightly dozed.

Once all of Ed's wounds had been washed thoroughly, thankfully none of them being infected, his pup opened his eyes to gaze at Roy with nothing but love and gratitude gleaming in those golden depths. Warmth flooded through Roy as he gently nuzzled his pup, heartened when Ed returned the gesture before he began to sit up fully in the nest.

"And now Ed will hunt for Roy." His pup's voice was firm and sounded stronger than before as he glanced outside the den to take in the sun's position in the sky. While Roy was overjoyed that his pup had seemed to bounce back from the very edge of death to return as strong as ever, he was still worried that Ed would only end up pushing himself too far once again.

"What Ed needs to do is rest." Roy urged as he sat down beside Ed, fixing him with a stern look as he gazed at his stubborn pup. "Ed almost died because he overworked himself. He needs to stay here in the den and relax for once."

"No, Ed must repay Roy." Ed shook his head dismissively as he stared back at Roy with desperately determined amber eyes. "Ed is feeling much, much better now, and that is all because of Roy. Ed wants to be able to take care of his guardian, and that means Ed must hunt."

"Roy never wants to see his pup like that ever again…" Roy's voice was thick with emotion as he continued to gaze imploringly at his pup. All of the feelings that he had experienced this morning came rushing back to him, and Roy closed his eyes when he felt tears threaten to fall. "Ed needs to take care of himself too; he can't keep running himself into the ground over and over. It just isn't good for him."

"But Ed is feeling fine now." He opened his eyes when he felt Ed bury his muzzle deep into the side of Roy's neck. His pup's response was muffled and his breath rustled through Roy's dark fur as he went on. "Ed will take better care of himself, but one of them has to go hunting. If Ed just stayed here in the den all the time then they'd both end up starving to death…he has to do this."

"Then Roy will go with Ed." Roy said with a hint of desperation in his voice, still much too scared to risk losing his pup again so soon. If he hunted with Ed then he could at least make sure that his pup didn't overexert himself once more. "They can hunt together."

"Roy is still hurt from the rock fall," Ed's voice was gentle as he lapped softly at the top of Roy's head. "He'd never be able to keep up with Ed. Besides, if Roy hurts his leg even more then he may never be able to walk properly again. Roy needs to stay here, and he has to trust Ed…"

While he longed to howl aloud his distress and hold his pup back by his scruff, to never allow him to leave his sight for a single moment, Roy knew deep down that Ed was right. The truth was terribly painful, but to continue surviving at least one of them needed to search for food…and Ed was in the better shape out of both of them at the moment.

"As much as it hurts Roy to let his pup go out to hunt alone so soon after what has happened…he will let Ed go, but only if he promises to be careful and never even think of going anywhere near the ravine ever again." His voice was a mixture of pain and fear that he tried and failed to hide through humor as Roy tried to keep himself from breaking completely. From the sad yet determined glimmer to Ed's eyes he knew that his pup understood just how torn his guardian felt.

"Ravine? As far as Ed knows he has never even heard of it." His pup teased as he got to his paws and gazed back at Roy with nothing but love in his warm golden eyes. "Ed will hunt far away from it from now on. He'll go hunt towards the north, and not too far from the den."

Roy leaned deeply against Ed for a moment, nuzzling his pup's shoulder as the tawny chimera bent his head slightly to press his nose to Roy's cheek. He could feel that strength had returned to Ed's lean muscles and he knew deep down that his pup would be alright, but it still hurt to let him go. "Be safe out there, pup."

"Ed promises to make it back to the den before sunset. Roy won't be left alone for too long." All joking had faded from his pup's voice as he reluctantly pulled away from Roy's contact. Ed then walked slowly towards the den's entrance, looking back at his worried guardian before he turned to race out of the den and into the surrounding woodland.

Roy sat completely alone in their makeshift home, gazing out of the entrance for a few minutes as he took in the stillness to the cold air. It was very rare that one of them would be left behind and he felt sorrow course through him at the thought of Ed never returning…to have to live in the den all alone, never being able to see or hear his beloved pup ever again…it just broke his heart into pieces…

He shook his head vigorously before letting out a long sigh, knowing that he needed to keep busy to stop his mind from wandering and worrying about things beyond his control. Roy had to trust that Ed knew what he was doing, but until then he decided that he would make their nest more warm and comfortable so that he and his pup would be able to get a better night's sleep.

Roy's gaze absentmindedly wandered down to the few scraps of cardinal that lay on the ground at his paws, nothing left now but a few bones and a dozen or so feathers. The bright and vibrant plumage suddenly brought back a distant memory of a human Ed wearing a deep red cloak, proclaiming loudly that it was his favorite color. Roy guessed that his pup had been too hungry to even notice what type of bird he had torn into, but he knew that Ed would be happy to see his signature shade of crimson once more.

Putting the feathers off to the side, Roy then picked up the few remaining bones and limped out of the den to bury them just outside of the entrance. Once that task had been finished he re-entered the den, gazing down at their mossy nest before he began to work on fixing it.

Roy rearranged the moss and the few fern fronds that made up their nest, cleaning up any dirty or stale bits before he began to weave the feathers among the bedding. As Roy threaded the deep red plumage into the sides of the nest he felt a sense of calm descend over him. His troubled thoughts seemed to fade away as his mind focused itself entirely upon his current task and he couldn't help but feel rather peaceful as he finished his work and sat back to admire it.

That new found and fragile tranquility was swiftly shattered by the sound of paws thumping rapidly against the frozen earth. Before Roy could begin to panic though, Ed burst into the den, panting heavily around a rabbit clasped in his jaws. He was about to congratulate his pup on such a brilliant catch until he saw that not only was Ed shaking violently, but his golden eyes were wide and full of fear.

"Ed? Is everything okay?" Roy asked as he quickly got to his paws and limped towards the tawny chimera. He soon stood before his pup, pressing against Ed as concern began to slowly grow from deep within. "What has happened to make him so scared?"

His pup pulled back just enough so that he could set his rabbit down by his paws, his mouth still continuing to move even though no words escaped him. Thoroughly worried now, Roy only pressed even closer against Ed, lapping gently at his pup's cheek in an attempt to try and calm the fearful chimera. After a few moments and deep breaths, Ed was eventually able to find his voice.

"T-There…in t-the forest…Some…something t-terrible…" His pup managed to choke out as though each word had to be dragged from the depths of his mind. Ed's wide and absolutely horrified eyes locked onto Roy's dark and morbidly curious gaze. "It is…h-hard to e-explain…Roy n-needs to…to see for h-himself…It is truly a-awful…"

"Roy will go with Ed then." Roy said in a firm and confident voice, hoping to soothe his poor pup by showing no outer signs of fear, even though his panic was only growing. He gently nuzzled the side of Ed's head in an attempt to calm him while Roy's mind began to race. What horrific thing had his pup witnessed that had left him in such a terrified state? "Ed needs to lead the way, and Roy will stay by his side."

Ed nodded quickly as he pulled away from Roy, standing as still as the surrounding stone for a moment as he gathered himself to set out once more. Though his eyes were still wide and his body trembled from fear, Ed turned and left the den. Roy followed close behind as he and his pup ventured out into the now rather foreboding forest, Roy wondering with a deep and growing sense of dread as to what he was walking into.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Ed's mind was still a blur of panic and fear as he hurried through the woods, mindful of Roy hobbling on three legs just behind him as he slowed his pace and waited patiently for his guardian to reach him. The two had set off from their den and into the frozen forest just a few minutes earlier, but in that time Ed could see that Roy's steps were growing slower and clumsier as fatigue began to set it. Once his guardian had reached his side, Ed let him lean heavily against his shoulder, the injured chimera flashing him a tired yet grateful glance as they continued on.

For the first time since their freedom from the lab, Ed had decided to hunt just a bit north of the den with the hopes of finding better prey in a place neither of the two chimeras usually ventured. At first the snow combined with hunting in a relatively foreign area had proved difficult, all scents having been washed away by the frost alongside not knowing any good spots to simply find prey. There was a certain stillness to the cold air that put Ed on edge and he distantly wondered if the smaller mammals of the forest could sense it too, hiding away not just from the frigid temperatures, but something more sinister.

Ed's worried thoughts had been interrupted as a rabbit practically flung itself out of the brush and into his paws, so terrified of something unseen that it had failed to notice his own threating presence. Not wanting to waste the opportunity that had presented itself, Ed dispatched of the rabbit quickly, not even wondering what exactly had led the fearful creature to take its chances with the chimera over whatever it was running from.

Still not knowing what lay ahead of him, and grateful of an easy yet brilliant catch, Ed had continued on with his prey clasped firmly in his jaws. Then he had walked farther into the unfamiliar forest…picking up on something unnatural as he ventured closer to investigate…

As Ed and Roy slowly began to reach the location of the ghastly scene, the horrid smell struck Ed once more. The terrible stench of blood and decay…of agony and fear, mixing together into something so vile that Ed's pelt instinctively bristled along his spine as the earlier sense of sick horror threatened to take him over again. From the disgusted yet fearful look on Roy's face he knew that his guardian had clearly picked up the scent as well, eyes going wide as he glanced at Ed.

The memory of stumbling upon the gruesome scene replayed in his mind once more, and the absolute terror Ed had felt then was still present enough to make his stomach turn. He remembered standing in place as though his body had turned to ice; his heart beginning to pound so hard that he feared his ribs would be grounded down into dust. Never since his and Roy's terrible transmutation had he felt such fear and disgust as he had felt, and continued to feel, then.

Ed vaguely remembered taking in a shocked breath past the rabbit in his jaws, nearly gagging from the horrid stench before he had turned away and fled back to the safety of the den…back to Roy's comforting presence. His paws still hurt slightly from his earlier slipping and sliding on the frozen ground below, the terror having blinding him to any pain in his mad haste to flee from what he had found…

Now Ed was heading back to the source of such nightmare inducing horror, doing his best to remain calm and in control as he tried to gather strength from Roy's steady presence at his side. Though he was not alone this time and had the protection of his devoted guardian, Ed still could not control the violent tremors that wracked his body as they neared the scraggly brush that hid such horrors from their sight.

The disgusting scent was unbearable now as they paused before the barrier of thorns and leafy ferns. Ed glanced over at Roy as he began to steel himself for what was to come, dipping his head to indicate that they had finally reached their destination. His guardian nodded reassuringly as he lapped at Ed's cheek in a soothing gesture, still unable to hide his own growing panic that glimmered in his dark eyes as the two of them finally pushed forward and past the brush.

The scene was just as terrible as Ed remembered.

The absolutely mutilated body of a large furry creature lay motionless in the center of the small clearing, what was left of its limbs splayed out in the relatively undisturbed snow. From the short distance that Ed and Roy stood, both were able to clearly see the dreadful wounds that littered the dead creature's body. There was a huge, gaping hole ripped into its stomach that had been partially hollowed out except for broken ribs and a few remaining bits of entrails. The creature was missing its right front leg, the limb having been tossed carelessly across the clearing and shredded into nothing but bone and tufts of bloody fur.

Bits of muscle and flesh hung like gruesome decorations in the lowest branches of the nearby trees and bushes, large and numerous wounds showing the origin of the bloody strips. A giant gash in the creatures neck showed a partially shredded trachea, this seeming to be the wound to do it in of the terrible injury to its stomach hadn't done the trick. Long dried blood covered the body and parts of the clearing, showing that the creature must have been killed a few days ago, more than likely before the snow storm as the fine white powder had formed a very thin blanket over the body.

As Ed and Roy slowly and cautiously approached the desecrated corpse, Ed could barely hold back his own terrified trembling as he watched his guardian limp bravely towards the body. His own golden eyes slowly began to wander along the poor creatures gruesome wounds, his gaze locking with its clouded over and unseeing green eyes. Ed was then able to recognize exactly what the creature was, or what it had been, and that sudden knowledge nearly caused him to vomit up his earlier meal.

The shredded and blood soaked body that lay before them was that of another chimera, and one Ed was now able to clearly identify. The corpse was that of Cale.

He turned away from Cale's body to take in a few deep and grounding breaths, nearly choking as the terrible stench that filled the clearing entered his nostrils. While Ed tried desperately to control his horror at the scene, attempting to keep his own stomach contents from joining the various fluids that had already soaked into the ground below, he heard Roy speak up in a low tone.

"I-I…It must have been a bear that killed Cale…" His guardian's voice was full of shocked sorrow as Ed finally gathered himself enough to turn back towards the body in order to look at Roy. The dark furred chimera had lowered his head in order to inspect the wound to Cale's neck more closely, pausing to sniff the air before turning his gaze to Ed. "The snow has washed away any scents though…but no other creature could have caused this much damage…"

Ed walked forward until he was standing at Roy's side, this revelation causing his earlier terror to morph into sadness as he thought about Cale's final moments. The dead chimera's teeth were still bared in a savage snarl and through the gray film covering his eyes Ed could see long dead desperation in their foggy depths. Whatever had attacked his fellow chimera, it was clear that Cale had died fighting.

He wondered why Cale was so close to their den, and on his own, since the chimera had decided to stay with The Pack and his mate. There were no signs of any other creature larger than a rabbit nearby and Ed hoped that none of the others had shared in Cale's dreadful fate.

Despite the blood and reek of decay, Ed leaned forward and pawed gently at Cale's sightless eyes until they had closed for the last time. Grief weighed down on his heart as Ed drew away and pressed closer against Roy to bury his face in his white chest. His guardian responded by resting his chin atop Ed's head and drawing him close with his tail as the two shared in their silent sorrow.

"Cale should be buried…" Ed's quiet voice was muffled by Roy's fur, but as they broke apart he was able to see that his guardian had heard him clearly. "He shouldn't be left out like this…Cale deserves the same as Sammy and Twenty two…"

Roy nodded his agreement as he pulled away from Ed, his dark eyes wandering along the small clearing as he searched for a proper burial place. After a moment or so his guardian pointed with his muzzle towards a grouping of stones and frost bitten ferns that lay at the very edge of the small grassy expanse before limping over to the chosen location.

"Here should be good." Roy said as Ed reached his side, a worried glimmer to his onyx eyes as he gazed hesitantly at Ed. "Roy should dig the hole though…Ed is still recovering from this morning…"

Ed flashed his guardian a slightly annoyed look before he bent over and began to paw at the hard and frozen ground, his actions serving as his response. As Ed continued to dig he was soon very aware of Roy digging at his side and he shot his guardian a stern look before butting him in the side with his head. Roy stumbled slightly, suddenly unbalanced as he sat down with a loud thump before he glared back at Ed.

"Roy is still injured though, and Ed is feeling better. He will be able to dig the hole on his own." Ed said when it looked like his guardian was about to argue. Before Roy could voice his discontent though, Ed hit him lightly with his golden tail before using it to gesture towards Cale's body. "Besides…one of them needs to…to gather Cale so he can be buried. Roy knows that Ed wouldn't be able to…"

His guardian's eyes were now full of sympathy as he gazed at Ed for a moment, seeming to take in his pup's condition before nodding in reluctant agreement. While Roy turned his back to Ed in order to face the gruesome sight once more, Ed began to dig a little faster without his guardian watching his every move.

Ed had no clue how long he had been digging, too focused on the task at hand to notice anything other than the hard earth shifting beneath his paws. He was soon panting hard from the exertion as his already tired muscles began to scream in protest of the continuous and repetitive movement.

At some point though he could feel Roy at his side and he saw his guardian's dirtied white paws parting the soil alongside his. Ed knew that he should tell Roy to step back and out of his way, that his guardian needed to rest, but Ed was much too tired and focused now to reprimand him.

After what felt like a lifetime, and with the sun now dipping low on the horizon, the hole had finally been dug deep enough to house Cale's remains. As Ed sat back to fully take in the sight as well as to catch his breath, he felt his body begin to tremble hard from exhaustion as his little remaining strength and energy seemed to slowly seep out of him and into the icy ground below.

A sudden prodding at his side brought Ed back to reality as he met Roy's wide and concerned onyx eyes, a question in his gaze that Ed didn't really have the energy to answer. Hesitantly his guardian broke eye contact to look just behind his shoulder and into the clearing, Ed following his dark gaze until he saw that Cale was lying in a heap less than a foot away from them. Ed shifted over to the side and let Roy carefully drag Cale's corpse by the scruff to the edge of the hole, his guardian nudging the body until it tumbled into the grave.

Roy then turned back towards the clearing, limping the short distance to where he had left Cale's bloody arm. He pushed at the severed limb with his paws, eyes clouded over with both horror and grim determination as, in a tired daze, Ed watched his guardian eventually reach the edge of the hole. One last careful shove sent the limb down to join its owner at the bottom of the grave, and Ed moved towards the large mound of overturned earth just beside the hole, ready to start pushing it back into its proper place.

Before Ed could so much as set a paw on the small mountain of dirt, a once white paw darted into his line of sight as Roy blocked his movement before speaking to him in a soft tone. "No, Ed is done now. Roy can see how tired his pup is, and he can handle the rest."

A stern yet gentle look from his guardian kept Ed from arguing that he was perfectly capable of finishing what he had started, knowing that nothing he said could change Roy's mind. The dark furred chimera nodded towards a suspiciously cleared spot towards the edge of the clearing as Ed suddenly realized that his guardian had already planned ahead. With distant memories of a fully human Roy gazing at him with clear and calculating onyx eyes, Ed let out a small sign of defeat and stumbled towards the spot waiting for him.

Ed sat down heavily in the damp grass, trying his best to keep himself from falling to his side in the nearby snow as his head began to hang low from exhaustion. The world around him was starting to slowly slip away from his grasp, the sounds of Roy covering the hole with dirt seemed so distant to his muffled ears. Ed felt himself sinking further into a tired daze and he did all he could to keep himself from succumbing to the tempting realm of slumber.

He must have closed his eyes and fallen into a light doze as the next thing Ed was suddenly aware of was the feeling of a gentle nudging at his shoulder. Ed raised his heavy head, slowly opening his eyes to see Roy staring back at him with concern glittering in his dark gaze. "Ed? Is Ed feeling okay?"

"Y-Yeah…Ed is fine…" Ed's voice sounded dry and rasped in his throat as he shook his tired head and slowly stood upon trembling paws. The sun had nearly set, dark shadows casting sharp silhouettes against the earth as the dying light made the trees look like claws reaching into the clearing. Ed cast his gaze past his worried guardian's shoulder to stare at the freshly overturned dirt that lay just beyond.

With no other words, Ed stumbled over to Cale's grave, managing to remain on his paws as he stood trembling before his fellow chimera's final resting place. As he bowed his head in silent respect, Ed felt the warm pelt of Roy by his side as his guardian supported him both physically and emotionally. The two of them stood in silence for a few minutes, both knowing that they would not be able to keep a proper vigil for the deceased in the middle of the freezing and rapidly darkening forest that surrounded them.

Eventually Ed felt himself being gently guided away from Cale's grave, barely registering that Roy was leading him to a small mound of nearby snow. He watched on in a daze as his guardian began to run his paws softly through the fine powder, cleaning the dirt and blood from his fur. With Roy watching him closely, Ed followed his guardian's motions sluggishly, his energy nearing its limit as he did all he could to keep himself from passing out and collapsing into the snow.

"Let's go now, Ed needs to rest." Roy's voice was a soft and soothing hum to his ears as his guardian carefully led Ed away and through the brittle undergrowth that surrounded the clearing. While his body felt weaker by the moment and his paw steps grew unsteady, Ed tried to not lean too heavily against Roy for fear of accidently knocking the injured chimera off his own paws. He felt like he was slowly losing control of his body and mind, his thoughts becoming simpler as Ed did his best to just stay conscious.

Soon he felt the sensation of soft moss brushing against his flanks as Roy practically dragged him into their still warm nest, the familiar scents of the den seeming to lend some strength to Ed. As the lingering shadows of exhaustion slowly lifted from both his mind and vision, he could see Roy crouched closely in front of him, worry radiating off of his guardian in waves.

"Ed? Can he still hear Roy? Ed…please say something…" Judging from the growing fear and guilt in Roy's dark eyes, Ed realized that he must have actually lost consciousness during the trek back to the den. He had no clue how long he had been out, but it was long enough that Roy seemed on the verge of panic. "Roy should have never let his pup overwork himself so soon…he should have known better…and now Ed is just as ill as before…"

"E-Everything is…fine, Roy…" Ed's voice sounded even rougher than it had earlier and he began to cough against the horribly dry feeling in his throat. Immediately Roy pushed a clump of wet moss towards him with his nose, and as soon as Ed stretched his neck far enough to lap gratefully at the moisture, he felt his guardian cover his ears with loving licks.

"Oh Ed…thank god…" Roy managed to say between each gentle stroke of his tongue. "Roy was so scared that he had made his pup feel even worse than before…and when Ed stopped responding on the way back…" Roy's trembling words trailed off when Ed gently placed a front paw over top one of his guardian's. The dark furred chimera then pulled back just enough so that he was able to gaze deeply into Ed's eyes.

"Roy has no need to worry about Ed all the time…" Ed's voice sounded a little stronger as some much needed energy slowly began to seep into his weary body. He gave his guardian the best cocky grin that he could muster before continuing on. "Roy always worries too much…Ed knows what he is doing."

"Maybe if Ed actually knew his limits then Roy could worry a little less." Roy sighed deeply as he sat back to gaze down at Ed with a fond annoyance in his eyes. Ed closed his eyes for a moment, trying to think of a good response, before his thoughts were interrupted by the sudden sensation of soft yet cool fur brushing against his nose. The tantalizing scent of rabbit flooded his nostrils and he opened his eyes to see his earlier catch lying before him.

"Roy knows that Ed caught this rabbit only for him, but there is more than enough for them both to share." His guardian said as Ed slowly sat up on his elbows, flashbacks of earlier in the day flickering through his tired mind as he gazed back up at Roy. While the painfully familiar feeling of a deep and almost animalistic hunger surged through his body, Ed only shook his head as he pawed the rabbit closer to his guardian.

"Ed caught this for Roy…so he at least gets the first bite." Roy looked ready to protest until Ed finished his sentence, his outrage soon changing into amusement as he chuckled lightly. His guardian crouched closer to the prey, lapping at his pup's cheek with a tired acceptance gleaming in his warm onyx eyes.

Roy bent over the prey and took a small bite of rabbit before pushing it closer to Ed, humor in his voice as he asked. "There, Roy had the first bite. Is Ed happy now?"

Through the roaring of the dog mind's hunger Ed managed to swiftly nod to his guardian before the beast began to take hold as it had done earlier that day. He tore into his own share of the rabbit, trying to keep a hold over the near starved canine and prevent it from fully taking over. Ed was able to stay mostly in control, his gaze flashing towards Roy every once and a while to make sure that his guardian did indeed eat his fair share. The fond amusement that glowed in those familiar onyx eyes not only gave him the strength to withstand the dog's chaotic thoughts, they also told Ed that Roy fully understood why his pup kept such a close eye on him.

Soon the rabbit was nothing but a few scraps of fur as Ed allowed the dog half of his mind a little more control and let it take some joy in gnawing on the last remaining bone. As the bone finally cracked from under his teeth the canine seemed to let out a mental bark of satisfaction as it once again surrendered total control to Ed, contented now that it had satiated its hunger. The whole time Roy watched over him as he finished their shared meal, a small smile on his face and relief gleaming in his eyes when he saw that Ed was once again in control.

"Is Ed feeling better?" His guardian asked as he heaved himself to his paws, still careful to keep his injured leg from bumping against the ground.

"Yes. Ed feels much better now." Ed bowed his head in a mixture of gratitude and slight embarrassment, keeping his gaze locked onto his own paws as he went on. "Ed wants to thank Roy for helping him earlier today as well…he doesn't know what he'd do without Roy, but Ed knows that he would have died a long time ago without Roy's help."

Ed looked up when he felt a gentle tongue lap lovingly at his ears, and he gazed deeply into Roy's eyes as his guardian responded. "Roy will always do what he can to keep his pup safe. The two of them need to take care of each other…even more so now that danger lurks in the woods around them…"

As Ed instinctively shivered at the thought of the hidden predator stalking in the darkness somewhere outside their den, he felt Roy settle down by his side, shielding him from the cold wind that had started to blow in from the den's entrance. "Ed also never even noticed how nice Roy has made their nest while Ed had gone out to hunt."

Confusion flooded over Ed's troubled thoughts, washing them away momentarily as he gazed down into the moss of their nest. Through the dull greenery he could make out streaks of vibrant red feathers and he realized then that the earlier catch Roy had made must have been a cardinal.

Memories of when Ed was still fully human flickered through his mind like leaves caught in a gale, and through this mental storm he was able to see a nearly forgotten memory that appeared clearer than the rest. Ed was standing next to the armor that housed his younger brother's soul, Al, whose metal body glowed slightly from the light emanating through a window across from them. There sat a human Roy behind a large wooden desk, who was arguing with him about Ed's signature red cloak. The memory was from so long ago that Ed could barely remember the words spoken, but he could recall Roy saying that red was a childish color anyway, something well suited for Ed. Al had had to hold him back from attacking his commanding officer, yet those dark eyes had held a deep amusement in their depths at Ed's reaction.

A flash of happiness coursed through Ed at the memory, truly touched that Roy had been considerate enough to remember something as simple as his favorite color. As he returned his guardian's loving gaze he remembered that he had forgotten to thank the dark furred chimera yet again.

"Thanks, Roy. Ed almost forgot to tell Roy that he is amazed that Roy even managed to catch any prey earlier…what with Roy's three legs…" As Ed spoke in a teasing tone his guardian gave him a mock growl before cuffing Ed lightly over the head with a gentle paw. Those eyes had never changed, even after the transmutation, and even now he could see that familiar glimmer of fondness, now no longer so hidden, in their onyx depths.

"Very funny, Roy can still hunt fine, his leg will heal with time and soon he will be able to hunt better than his pup. To be fair though…the bird was already injured before Roy got to it…" Ed laughed at the slight embarrassment in his guardian's voice before he lapped comfortingly at Roy's cheek, settling deeper into their soft nest as fatigue hit him once again.

The two of them fell into a contented silence for a few minutes, just listening to the wind picking up outside. The leaf bare tree branches rattled like dry bones as the gale beyond their den seemed to only grow more intense.

"Roy and Ed should get some rest now. Today has been…eventful for both of them." Roy shivered slightly, and not just from the cold breeze that suddenly rustled through the den. As he curled himself as close as he could to Ed, his guardian added. "Goodnight, Ed. Have pleasant dreams."

"Goodnight, Roy." Ed murmured as he felt Roy's head settle snugly across his neck, his tail curling around both of their bodies as Ed leaned heavily against his guardian's side. As exhaustion once again tugged at his weary mind, Ed closed his eyes and settled in for the night.

After a few minutes Ed could tell by his deep and rhythmic breaths that Roy had fallen asleep, and he eventually followed his guardian into the realm of dreams. Just before Ed lost consciousness though he felt a terrible dread flicker through his mind and body at the thought of what sinister creature could possibly be hunting chimeras out in the woodland.


And so we get some Ed and Roy fluff once again. But poor Cale, I wonder what could have done that to him...but was it really a bear?

Anyway I'm glad that I finally got this chapter up! I've had a lot of stuff happen in my real life that delayed this chapter so much, but now I'm back at a normal schedule. I've actually come to like this chapter a lot, and it's probably one of my favorites so far, but there is much more to come.

I'd say that Chapter 13's release date will be somewhere around October, seeing as I started it but am immediately restarting since I'm not the biggest fan of how the first page or two is written. I really can't put a good date on it yet, but keep an eye out on my profile for any updates.

Well I hope you all enjoyed the chapter as much as I did writing it, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!

:3