Al is startled from his reading by the door suddenly opening. From the couch in the living room of the apartment he and Ed share in Central, Al can see the door--and jumps when he sees Ed enter.

"Uhm.. Brother?"

Ed walks in, shutting the door with his foot, a grin on his face. "Well Al, whaddya think?" He holds his arms out and up, tilting his head.

"Uh.. why are you wearing that?"

"What? It's standard issue." He looks down at his attire; the standard blue military uniform issued to all military personnel. It fits him perfectly; and why wouldn't it, with his alchemical tailoring skills.

"When did you get that?"

"Hmm.. about ten minutes ago," Ed says, pulling off the hat he'd been wearing. The tucked-in hair falls into place gracefully, and Ed, being so careful with things, tosses the hat onto the counter for later.

"But Ed.. why do you have the rank for colonel on your uniform?"

Ed looks down, and spots the miscoloring Al noticed. "Oh, damn. I totally forgot about that when I grabbed this."

"..Where did you get that?"

"Oh, from a.. friend. Trust me, he's got a few, he won't miss one."

Al sighs, giving Ed as much of a condescending look as he possibly can from the armor. "Who, Brother?"

Ed sighs, hearing Al's tone of voice. "Mustang. That asshole won't even know it's gone!"

"Wh--you were in his HOUSE?" Al nearly yells.

"Hey hey, calm down!" Ed replies, putting his arms up defensively. "He said I should get a uniform so I got one!" He gains a wicked grin. "Besides, Al, Prank Day is tomorrow.. and I left him a surprise." After giving an excited giggle, Ed continues. "I transmuted all of his clothes to be just a little bit smaller. He's going to think he gained weight recently!"

Al sighs and picks his book back up. "Well at least it isn't something horribly bad, like you did to him last year."

"Oh, yeah," Ed laughs. "I'll never forget that, and I don't think he will either."

"When you transmuted his uniform into a dress while half of Central watching? Ed, I don't think ANYONE will forget that."

The way Al said that statement, combined with Ed's vivid memory, causes him to double over on the floor, laughing hysterically.

In response, Al himself starts laughing. "That was a good one, though!"

Finally finished after several minutes, Ed sighs and remains on the floor, lying on his back with a relaxed expression on his face. "Ahh. Hey, Al, I think I'm gonna head back out."

"Huh?" Al looks out of the window; it's nearly dark out. "But Ed, it's getting late. Shouldn't you stay in and get some rest?"

"Stop babying me, Al. I'm fine, I just want to get some air." Ed uprights himself and grabs the military cap, putting it on more casually this round; his hair remains out.

Al watches Ed play with the uniform; despite how much Ed has expressed his dislike for the outfit in previous times, he seems to be fond of it now, almost petting it as he brushes a bit of dust from it.

Almost asking Ed how long he would be, he stops himself and instead says, "See you soon, Brother."

Ed waves to Al, smiling as he heads out the door and into the night.

Prank day is tomorrow, right? Not tonight. So why hasn't Ed returned yet? With a glance at the clock, Al sighs and leans forward more, waving the book around idly in his hand.

3am.

No calls, no signs of any sort from Ed. Did Ed go get drunk? No, he's underage. But with that military uniform on, Ed does look a bit older. Still, Ed wouldn't go get drunk, would he? Then again, maybe that's the reason for Ed stealing the uniform. Still.. Al didn't think Ed would do that.

With a sigh, Al looks out the window; he spots pitch black, save for the light cast by streetlamps. Spotting nothing, only the still of the night, Al turns back to his book, deciding that Ed will return home when he's done setting up whatever shenanigans he has planned.

Without realizing what time it is, Al returns to the waking world, having zoned out completely for several hours. Sure, with a human body, he may no longer need to sleep; but he does need to mentally rest his mind. Glancing at the clock, Al spots the numbers. 9am. Huh; he'd slept longer than they usually do.

Al gets up, investigating the apartment; with a sinking feeling, Al discovers that Ed is nowhere to be found. Upset, hoping that Ed is only playing a prank on him, he heads out to search for his brother.

---

Noon; Al had searched around the city by now, peering into windows of shops and eateries, seeing if he could spot Ed. So far, he's seen no sign of him; and when he asks, nobody else has, either. Then again, Al realizes, Ed wasn't wearing his signature black clothes with red coat; he was wearing the generic military uniform. Nobody thinks of the Fullmetal Alchemist wearing this outfit. So, with a silent apology to Ed, he begins asking anyone if they've seen a short man of the military recently. Unfortunately for Al, he receives no different answers; nobody has seen the older Elric brother.

Giving up when it finally reaches 4pm, Al returns to their apartment, only to find it empty. Cursing silently, he then heads to Central command, getting to Mustang's office just as he's about to leave. "Colonel?"

Mustang turns from gabbing a few of his things. "Alphonse?" He suspciously tries to look around Al, looking for something.

"Have you seen Ed?" Alphonse walks in, feeling a little nervous about Mustang's behaviour.

"..Not today so far, and that's what worries me." Mustang leans to the other side, before straightening and frowning. "He's not with you?"

"No, he's been gone since 8pm last night. He went out for some air and never returned."

Mustang narrows his eyes. {If this is a prank on his brother, it's a nasty one.} "I haven't seen him since you both were here last."

Feeling nervous, Al proposes an idea. "I know it's Prank Day and all.. but maybe we should have a search party sent out for him?"

"And if he's out there planning something?"

"..Then he'll get caught, his plans will be ruined, and you'll have embarrassed him."

Roy grins smugly. "I like your negotiation skills, Alphonse. Let's go organize that search party."

---

At first, everyone had thought Mustang was joking, when he wanted a search party sent out for Edward Elric. But, at the glaring looks from Mustang, they quickly assembled and headed out. While wary--it was still Prank Day, after all--they did their best and searched everywhere.

Three days.

It's been three days, already, since then; they've found nothing, and everyone is growing worried. Alphonse most of all, who has ignored Mustang's warnings of possible danger and set out to search for his brother.

"Alphonse, somebody may be after you as well as your brother. Stay in our protection, we have more than enough manpower--"

"You haven't seen what we've been up against," Alphonse replies, yet again. "You think there's enough manpower, but all they have is guns. Guns, in our case, never seems to be enough."

"These men are capable, I'm not sending just anybody."

"I have to go too, Colonel! I have to take care of Ed, he's barely able to take care of himself!"

"And you would risk your safety, when you're all he cares about?!"

"He would do the same for me! I have to go, he's counting on me to be there!" Al turns and runs off, running out the door. He's got to find Ed. Even if one of Mustang's men do, at least Al was looking for him.

Pain.

That was the greatest sensation. Pain was existant nearly the entire time, punctuated by occasional moments of lucidity, which he noticed only because the pain was greater. He could hear voices, but through what he was sure were sedatives, he could make out voices; moments after he heard them, he could interpret them. They didn't seem to make any sense, though; even to his mind, trained as a scientist and alchemist. They were in English, all right; but what was the application?

In his most drugged states, Ed would feel at peace, and would simply slip away to dream. In his mind, he would travel with Alphonse; they would help people, study alchemy, and, occasionally, mostly upon being torn back into a state of pain; he would relive the loss of Al to the Gate.

The pain. It's slowly, agonizingly slowly, winding down. He could feel it lessening, at the same time gaining awareness. This is new; no drugs, and little pain. His first instinct is suprisingly not to fight, but to calm his breathing and look around, wondering what's going on. He spots a man hovering above him; the man looks familiar, but due to the laggy processing of his mind, he can't quite place it. He voices a question to the man, but what he hears doesn't even remotely sound like words.

The man chuckles, tapping Ed fondly on the head. "No worries, fellow alchemist. I know this process is painful, but I am doing it for you, I promise. Don't worry; it's nearly over. I just brought you out to let you know I'll be working on your ears and eyes next." He watches Ed's glazed-over eyes, smiling. "You don't remember me, do you?" At Ed's confused expression, he shakes his head. "We spoke when you arrived. You were none too happy, but that's understandable. But, we can talk about that later." He watches Ed for a minute, then walks off. He returns not a minute later with a cold glass of water and a straw. "Eccentric I am, but heartless I am not. Have some water before I put you back under."

Ed, slightly more aware now, forms words that sound a bit more intelligible. "Wha you doon? Yoo me? Yair Al?"

"I'm simply enhancing you, Edward. Soon you'll be so much more than a crippled human." The man injects Edward with another round of drugs, putting Edward under once again.

"Ehmee.. oueere.." Ed says weakly, before slipping, yet again, into the recesses of his mind. He enjoys peaceful resting, and the good doctor gives him the rest of the night to have a pain-free, drugged sleep.

---

There is some pain the next day, but not as intense as Ed remembers it. A few sharp pains, and the muddled sounds from outside of him disappear. It's several hours before he can hear again, and during that time, the memory of his arrival surfaces, so cear he's reliving it.

"Edward Elric, welcome. I'm sorry the abduction was so rough; I understand you're quite a well-versed fighter, and your skills of self-defense in alchemy are unparalleled. I didn't want to risk your escape."

Edward glares at the man in front of him, sizing him up. Middle-aged. Long, white hair pulled into a ponytail. Green eyes. Skin.. very pale, almost white.

After receiving silence from Ed, the man continues. "I apologize, I have yet to introduce myself. I am Doctor Gene, doctor, alchemist, scientist." His smile reveals a bit of eccentricity.

"Little bit of everything, huh," Ed had replied. "And what are your plans for me? Do you need my help in figuring something out?" Were he not chained to the wall and missing both automail limbs, he'd make a valiant attempt to escape.

"In a sense, yes. You see, I know of nobody with your will. You have been through so much already, and yet you are so much stronger than anyone I have known. Every time you are beaten down, you get right back up. The harder your are beaten, the stronger you get. For this, you are perfect for my.. enhancements."

"Enhancements? You mean experiments. What kind of twisted crap have you been working on?"

The doctor chuckles. "You'll see soon enough, my friend."

---

Ed's 'vision enhancement' didn't go as smoothly as his hearing did. While his sight did remain intact, and substantially improved; it was jut as painful as the original pain he'd felt through the whole procedure. Leaving Ed to recover overnight, the doctor returns the next day, Ed still mostly under, to administer the very last of his 'program'. "Now, Edward. You're almost done." He picks up a scalpel, ready to mark Ed. "One last step, then I'll be able to control you whenever I desire."

Even in his foggy-minded, half-drugged state, Ed snaps. With a quick, violent twist, he snaps the restraints holding him to the table. He goes into a rage, knocking the doctor down, kicking the medical table over, and knocking over a desk, holding stacks of papers, books, and many glass vials with various fluids. He turns to the doctor, pinning down the dazed man, putting his hand around the doctor's neck. He hisses, pushing down. "Where is Al?"

Voice strangled by Ed's automail hand, he speaks. "Al--Al your brother? I ha-have no idea."

"Liar! Tell me where he is now!"

The doctor chokes as Ed increases the pressure. "I only--took you! I needed--a living--breathing--person. Not a--fleshless--spirit en-encased in--in a metal shell!"

Ed shoves down roughly on the doctor's neck, nearly snapping it. "You arrogant bastards.. You always go too far." Ed claps his hands, transmuting the floor to encase the doctor, pin him down. "You'll stay here until you're arrested!" Ed, aware that he's got both automail limbs on, is in such a rage that he doesn't realize that he didn't have them the entire time on the examination table.

"Wait! D-don't--" he coughs, still recovering from Ed's assault. "Don't leave me here!"

Ignoring him, Ed quickly vacates the place, but is having trouble with his legs. He hears a subtle crackling behind him, and spots several chemicals from the table pooling together--before finally, a violent explosion rips through the modest home, throwing Ed like a rag doll.

"Thafuck.." He moans, slowly pushing himself to his knees, glancing over to the house, which has been engulfed in a blazing inferno. "Ah, shit.." He sighs and looks down, and for the first time, has noticed some changes. He nearly leaps out of his skin when he spots, behind his torn leather pants, talons. Looking like something out of a dinosaur book, Ed's feet end in digitigrade, reptilian talons, his feet equipped with two razor-sharp claws and one scythe-like, wickedly-curved toe to the inside of each foot. "What the hell did he do to me?!" He looks at the yellowish skin, spotting brown striping haphazardly across the yellow. He spots, with curiosity, that his automal leg had been modified to match his human one. Well, reptile one.

He checks his hands next, not surprised to see the same yellow skin and brown markings; but on the flesh hand, he finds his fingernails have been modified to be longer, harder, and pointed. In shock, it takes him a minute to realize the pond a few yards away, where he can see his full reflection. He crawls the few yards to the edge, and gasps. His entire body is covered in the pale yellow skin color; and the brown markings have gone all the way--up his back, neck, and even on his face; there's a brown stripe straight down over his left eye. Where his human ears were, are now 3-inch, narrow ears, tipped in brown. He grits his teeth at the terrible reflection; but as he does, his jaw drops and he has to gape at the fact that his upper and lower canines are sharp fangs. He lets out a strangled cry, wondering how it could get any worse--when he feel some part of him twitch, and sees behind him.. his tail. Ed's eyes widen and he whips his head around, spotting the brown-tipped appendage, jumping as it twitches again. He screams out a terrified obscenity, then grabs the tail, shaking it; horrified that he can feel when he touches it. "Auugh, no, no, what did he do to me!"

Ed collapses on the ground, feeling more like a freak than he had in all the times he'd been seen with his automail. He lay there for about an hour, rolling onto his back as thoughts run through his head. Not surprisingly, he has to do this through a headache, which he'd earned from the drugs, the adrenaline, and the explosion.

Finally deciding that he would return to civilization, he pushes himself to standing, swaying a bit on his lnew legs; his new feet. His tail automatically positions itself, out of his reflexes, to balance him. While very displeased with his new makeover, he can't help but find a fascination at how well the tail works, how flawless it is. "He can grow a whole tail, but he didn't fix my arm and leg. Bastard."

With quite a bit of effort, Ed begins his trek, walking the road to wherever it may take him.

Several miles down the road, Ed had found another house; the residents were out, so he took it upon himself to transmute some fabric into a new coat, patch up his pants, and grab a bite to eat. Though he's still exhausted from the events of the day, he sets out again, continuing his journey.

Another few miles brings into view a road sign. The sign is a half-mile away, yet Edward feels his eyes hone in, and he's able to read it clear as day. Resembool: 1 mile. His eyes widen; he's that close to home? He could go see Winry--but.. With how he looks, would she even welcome him? He looks down at himself, down at the reptilian feet and at the tail hiding under the coat. He's the same inside, but his outside..

Winry wouldn't care. She's known him since they were little; she wouldn't be afraid of him. Leaning forward and finding his balance easily managed by his tail extending out behind him, he begins running toward home--his gait unsteady due to his new legs at first; but as he gets the hang of it, he finds himself topping at forty miles an hour. The countryside blurs past him, and for the first time since he was abducted, he has to laugh at the rush he feels.

---

At the speed he'd been travelling, it takes Ed no time at all to arrive at the Rockbell residence, but does so cautiously, watching for signs of life. He doesn't want to frighten them; doesn't want them to see him until he gets close and can explain.

Luckily, nobody spots him, and he sneaks into the house, finding Winry in her bedroom, reading a book on, what else; automail. Taking a deep breath, Ed keeps himself tucked behind the wall, just out of view. "Winry?"

Winry jumps, looking up and around. "Ed? Where are you?"

"Outside your room. Winry, something.. something happened. An alchemist experimented on me, and I don't look the same anymore."

Winry frowns. "Is that where you've been? Let me see you."

Ed frowns and hesitantly takes a step forward, but pauses, still hidden from her. "Promise me you won't freak out."

"Ed, I don't know what's happened, but you're still you. Come here, let me know you're real."

Ed grunts and gingerly walks forward, letting his entire self be seen. When in full view, he lowers the red hood, glancing at Winry's face.

Her reaction is a restrained one. Though his appearance does startle her, she tries to hide her expression; after a few moments, she stands, walking over to him. She stops a foot from him, eyes scanning over the changes of his skin, his new feet, and lingers on the tail. Next, her eyes flit upward to look at his ears, then then stop when they meet his eyes. The emotion Ed finds there isn't fear, apprehension, or disgust; it's concern, relief, and longing. She pulls him into a sudden hug, and his eyes widen in surprise.

"Ed, it's so good to have you back. It's been so long, nobody knew what had happened to you."

When Winry pulls away, Ed replies, clearly blushing. "Well--how long was I gone? I was.. under most of the time."

"Ed, you've been missing for over a year. You.. didn't know?" she asks quietly.

Ed's eyes widen as he hears this news. "Over--over a year?" He stares at her, his eyes glazing over a bit, before he jumps. "Al! Al, where is he? Is he okay?!"

"Ed, calm down! Al's fine. He's out looking for you. He calls here once a week. I'll tell him you've come home."

"Winry, you have to tell me where he is. I have to let him know I'm okay." {I have to see he's okay too,} he finishes silently. "Where was he last?"

"He-he called yesterday. He was headed back to Central to check again there. You're not.. going to go, are you?"

"Winry, I have to. I have to let him know I'm all right." Ed turns to go, but he suddenly stumbles over his own feet, hitting the door frame. A curse slips out of his mouth; he then just leans agains the frame, sighing.

"Ed, rest before you go. You're exhausted."

"Winry, I have to go meet--"

"Ed, you're going to at least stay the night! No arguing, either."

Ed concedes defeat, knowing that a battle with Winry is a futile endeavor. "Fine." As he heads to the dining room with her, he realizes just how tired he is. He is physically drained, his tail dragging behind him as he forces each next step.

"Sit down at the table, Ed, I'll make you something to eat." At Ed's nervous glancing around, she smiles. "Granny isn't here right now, she went to town to go shopping."

Ed nods and thanks Winry, before tackling the challenge of sitting. Due to his tail, he's finding it a bit difficult. He sits the chair sideways, letting his tail hang over the edge. As a second thought, he reaches down and pulls the tail onto his lap, to keep wayward feet from reaching it.

While he waits for food, he fiddles with it, using his flesh hand to feel the texture. It feels like skin, but slightly tougher. A solemn look graces his face as he inspects it, mind deep in thought.

Though Ed thinks Winry isn't watching him, she's watching him carefully, frowning as he mulls over it. {Oh, Ed..}

He's soon interrupted by Winry setting a plate of noodle soup in front of him, her expression cheerful. "Here you go, Ed. Just the way you like it."

Ed looks up at her, and manages a grin, despite his mood. He takes a half-hearted bite before setting the utensil back into the bowl. "..Winry?"

Winry sits next to him, and looks into his thoughtful eyes. "Yeah?"

"..Will I ever really be able to go into public again?"

Winry smiles; a true smile. "Of course. People will just have to get used to it. They already know the person inside, so it should be easy for them to accept the outside."

"But, Winry.. I'm a monster. Look at me." He motions to himself, his tail, his feet. "When people see something like this, they shoot first and ask later."

"They won't do it with you. I know you, Ed; you manage to bring the impossible out; you bring out the best in people. Well.. unless you make them mad. Try and do a little less of that, okay? Then they'll have no reason to go after you."

Ed laughs at that. "True." He takes a few more bites before speaking again. "So.. what do you think?"

She blinks, caught off guard. "About?"

"Me. My uh.. new features."

"Well.." She looks him over again, really studying. "The colors look good on you.. the tail is interesting, on a human.. the feet look pretty scary.." She nods. "It's not too bad. Really."

Hearing the honesty in her voice, Ed nods, and resumes eating his food without another word.

She stands after a few minutes, heading for the kitchen with a smile. "I'm going to make dessert now!" She giggles when she hears a sound of approval from a full-mouthed Edward.

---

An evening of food, a night of rest, and a morning shower; Ed is ready to be on his way. As he's doing his best to conceal his features to attempt a train ride, he's greeted by Winry, who starts wordlessly assisting him. "Ah, Winry.." he starts, the flushing clear on his face.

"I see you can tuck your tail in and hide your ears and face with your hood. The real challenge is going to be your feet. Can you transmute boots big enough for them?"

Ed looks down at them, lifting up his flesh foot and studying it. "Probably.. I just hope my balance will be fine." Having arrived home without his original boots [one of several things lost at the lab--including his suitcase, gloves, and wallet--but thankfully, not his pocket watch], he's forced to start with fresh material. He has no problem making them, though they look a bit odd due to his foot shape. "Ehh.."

"Better than what they were." She stands back, looking him over. "Good, everything is hidden. Now let's go, I'm walking you to the train station."

Ed's eyes widen. "But--but Winry, don't you know how far it is?"

"I do. And I know that it's nothing compared to how far you and Al walk on any day. Now stop complaining and let's go."

Ed grins nervously, but nods, grabbing some bread for the trip--as well as his new suitcase, made fresh this morning.

As they walk to the station, Ed is mostly silent. When they're more than halfway there, he speaks. "Thanks for coming with me."

"'Course. Someone's gotta make sure you stay out of trouble."

Ed smiles nervously. "I don't ALWAYS get into trouble."

"That's not what I hear from Al."

"Al tells you everything, doesn't he," he mutters.

"He's just worried that one day, you'll overdo it. That's not what he said, but I can tell from talking to him."

"Yeah well, does he tell you when he gets into trouble too? I have to bail him out, too."

"What is it with boys and finding trouble? Do you look for trouble?"

Ed laughs. "We're magnets for it, Winry. Trouble is everywhere, if you know where to look. And what we're looking for.. well, that's where it all is."

"You'll find it," Winry says suddenly, though her voice is quiet. "If anyone can, it's you. You and Al."

Ed looks up at her, and his smile softens. "Yeah. We're the perfect team."

The rest of the trip is silent. After arrival at the station, Ed keeps off to the side while Winry buys his ticket. She waits with him until the train arrives; as he's boarding, Winry speaks to the usher about Ed--how he'd like to be left alone, as he'd been quite ill lately and no, he's not contagious, but he needs to be left alone for the entire trip. Ed, hearing all of this, smiles and thanks her silently as he takes his seat, keeping his features hidden from all. He pulls out a book and leans against the window, relaxing as he opens it up. He had stolen it from home--one of Winry's dumb romance novels. But he figures, he could use something he's not used to, take his mind off things.

The train stops in Central, its destination announced, causing Ed to look up from the half-finished book. With a frown, he marks the page, putting the book away. He was really enjoying that book, too--he'd had no idea that womens' novels were so interesting.

Keeping his suitcase at hand, he exits the train, looking around for a big suit of armor; or even anybody he knows. Spotting nobody familiar, he proceeds out of the station and onto the street, doing his best to stay out of the limelight. He's now glad that he'd changed the color of his coat to black and forgone the flamel, rather pleased to see he's not drawing much attention.

Several hours pass; Ed's been walking around the whole time, looking for familiar faces. His legs, tired from all the travel yesterday, are ready to give in on him; not to mention walking in restricting shoes, his toes crying out in pain. To top it off, his modified body would rather walk leaning forward, with the tail behind him; but he's forcing himself to walk upright, and it's killing his back. He walks a bit further, near Central command, before giving up, transmuting a stool in an alley, and sitting on it to relax for a while. He chose this alley because there are bound to be many people he knows walking by.

Nearly an hour goes by before Ed gets a sign of hope. He spots Mustang pass by in his car; Ed grins and gets up; but immediately has to grab his aching back. "Craaaaap, I hate this body.."

Slower than he'd hoped, he makes his way up the steps to the very top; then uses his automail hand to flash his watch and announce his name; still keeping his face hidden. When suspiciously asked why he's hiding his face, Ed simply replies with the truth. "I've been through an accident recently." {I accidentally got kidnapped.} "I'm still healing, and it's not pretty." {Healing on the inside, but hey, it's still not pretty.}

Satisfied with his answers--and one getting a faint look under Ed's hood, spotting the brown mark and assuming it a wound--he's allowed through, and makes his way inside, toward Mustang's office. He grips his briefcase tensely, keeping his face hidden from all--but hearing various infuriating whispers about his stature making it difficult--until he arrives at Mustang's office. Spotting Mustang inside and everyone else absent, Ed shuts the doors behind him, locking it securely.

Mustang, hearing the commotion, turns to find the black-clothed figure, complete with black gloves--save the red flamel on the back of each hand--walking toward his desk, face shadowed eerily, just two golden eyes almost glowing at him from under the hood. He quickly lifts his hand up, poised to snap; this stops the new intruder. "Show your face."

Ed shifts his weight to his automail foot, his right foot cramping up inside the boot. He leans forward a bit too; his back hasn't really improved much. "Only after I warn you; it's not gonna be pretty."

Mustang lowers his hand, his brows raising as his eyes widen. "Fullmetal?"

"Yeah." Ed leans forward a bit more, his back relaxing quite a bit; but behind him, just hidden from Mustang's vision, his tail extends. "Some crazy alchemist experimented on me. It's pretty severe."

Mustang frowns, watching Ed's movements, and as Ed places a hand on his lower back. "Show me."

With a sigh, Ed makes no argument, simply pulls off his gloves and coat, allowing himself to be viewed in full by his commanding officer. With the same word running through his mind that has been the entire time he was searching Central, Ed continues. "That bastard turned me into a.. a chimera."

Mustang stares, his jaw dropping just a bit, as he takes in the sight of Edward. Ed had turned so the tail is visible, and just walks forward, eyes running across his sleek form. "..Chimera? I." He stares at the yellow skin, at Ed's ears; at the lazily-waving tail. "..Did it hurt?"

Ed, caught off guard by that sudden statement, blinks in confusion, brows furrowed. He'd have expected Mustang to phrase it 'was there much pain', but the way he just plain blurted the other words out makes Ed a bit nervous. "It.. did. But it doesn't anymore."

"It's an interesting combina.." Mustang trails off as he spots the way Ed's legs and feet are shaped; the boots are too big and strained upward, as Ed is walking on the balls of his feet. "Ed, what's wrong with your feet?"

"..They were changed, too. It's.. one of the biggest changes." Ed walks gingerly over to the couch, sitting down and removing his shoes.

Mustang, not sure what he'd see of Ed's feet, was quite shocked when he saw them. Unable to form words, he just looks up to Ed's face, hoping for an explanation.

"I told you. An alchemist used me as his guinea pig."

"You've been gone for over a year," Mustang says, still with a dumb look on his face.

"Apparently, chimeric alchemy, when done on a human, takes time," Ed replies, sound a little aggravated. {And he calls me an idiot.}

Picking out that tone, Mustang focuses his mind. "So, it doesn't hurt now. Where is the alchemist who did this?"

Ed's long ears visibly lower as Mustang asks about that. "I trapped him so he couldn't escape. But.. his chemicals mixed and caused an explosion."

Mustang sighs. "You never cease to eff it up."

"Well excuse me for being abducted and getting experimented on! Next time, I'll just lay down and roll over. I am a dog after all, aren't I?" Ed spits out, pissed that Mustang would act annoyed when Ed was the one going through the suffering.

"Actually, you look more like a dinosaur." Mustang gives an amused grin, causing Ed to throw his hands up in the air.

"I give up. I'm leaving." He turns to go, but Mustang's hand on his left shoulder stops him. "Don't go just yet. Al will be coming by in a few hours." He watches Ed's ears raise a bit, and smiles. "He's coming to see if I found any more leads on your whereabouts."

Ed turns to face Mustang, his tail seeming to fascinate the other man. "Should I wait here until then?"

Mustang can hear the pleading in Ed's voice, and nods. "Of course. Relax. Would you like some tea?"

Ed raises a brow at Mustang, curious as to the reason for the kindness. "..Why?"

With a sigh, Mustang rubs his face. "A friend has just been through hell in a lab and I can't try to offer comfort in the form of a cup of tea?"

Startled, Ed shrinks back into the cushions a bit. "Ah, y-yeah. Please." He looks away, then glances at Mustang's face before looking away again.

"Good. I'll be right back."

---

Three hours have passed; Ed has since slipped into a nap on the comfy couch. Though his body, feet and tail have been covered by a banket, courtesy of Mustang, his face, ears and arms are stil visible. When any of Mustang's crew pops in, spots Ed, and points expectantly at him, Mustang gives them a familiar look: Not now. Until finally, a certain person arrives.

Alphonse walks into the room unannounced, shutting the door behind him, rather loudly. He walks to Mustang's desk, each clank audible through the spacious room. He's unaware of the napping blonde on the couch whom is awakening at this very moment.

"Colonel, have you received any news on Edward?"

"As a matter of fact, Alphonse, I have."

Al leans forward suddenly, filled with excitement and renewed hope. "You have?! That's great news! What have you heard?!"

"Ed is alive and well, and he's been spotted nearby."

"How close??"

"Oh, woulja.. stop jerkin' him around.. and jus' tell him already?" Ed groans groggily, sitting up on the couch.

Alphonse, recognizing that voice instantly, gasps and whips around. "BROTHER! Brother where have you be--.." Alphonse stops immediately as he notices Ed's strange features. Pale yellow and brown skin.. long ears.. surely this isn't Ed? "..Ed?"

Though he does understand Al's pause at his looks, it still hurts him a bit that Al is bothered by his appearance. "It's me, Al. With some.. unwanted enhancements."

"But.. how? Where?"

"Some crazy-sick-bastard alchemist not far from Resembool. He did this to me; it took forever." Ed groans. "Another year I could have been looking for the stone."

"It-it's okay, Ed. Don't worry about that. We just need to.. find it even faster now, to fix you. Er, your body." Al lets out a sudden whimper.

Ed just laughs. "It's all right, Al. I don't like it any more than you do. At least you don't have a tail to worry about." Ed whips his tail, effectively knocking the blanket from it and his feet. He sits up fully, and when Al spots the changes in his lower body, he gasps and takes a step back.

"Bro-brother.. what did he do to you?"

Unable to hide his frown at Al's reaction, Ed explains as best he can. "..He told me he wanted to enhance me. I could see this being an enhancement.. for a lizard. But not for a human." Ed leans back on the couch, lifting his feet into the air and wiggling his toes, including the prominent curved scythe on each foot.

Al stares in silent horror at the sight. He may get many looks, being in a suit of armor.. but the heads that Ed will turn? His suffering will be nothing compared to Ed's. "Did.. did it hurt?" His voice comes out in barely a whisper.

Ed's reply is more explanatory than the one he'd given to Mustang. "He kept me drugged most of the time. So I only felt pain when they wore off." He neglects to add how often that happened. "But the pain wasn't too bad," he lies, not wanting to let on just how much he'd been through. Al had been through enough with him, thanks to their past.

Al stares a bit longer before running forward and grabbing Ed in a crushing hug. "Oh Ed! I was so worried I looked everywhere for you! You can never go off without me again!"

Ed gags from his compressed lungs. "Al.. I can.. take care.. of m-myself! C--can't breathe--!"

Al releases Ed, who stumbles back and falls back onto the couch. With his trademark energy, he shakes a mock-fist at Al. "You don't have to worry so much, Al. Nothing can keep us apart forever."

Al watches Ed silently, watches his brother bounce back quickly; studies his brother's optimism, despite his situation. "Yeah. We'll always find each other, no matter what."

While the brothers enjoy a reunion, their relaxing is cut short. Ed is still a member of the military, and must explain why he's been AWOL for so long. This means explaining directly to Bradley, much to Ed's chagrin at being made public; at least so soon. Nevertheless, after explaining to the Fuhrer, followed by a grouping of those trusted most by Mustang and Elric alike--Ed admits to himself, and afterward Alphonse, that he can't hide his new form forever.

"Until we can fix it," Ed says to his brother as they're walking down the hall, "I really can't hide it all the time. It's too obvious." Too true, as the military personnel can see; Ed is wearing all black still, his new apparel; but he's leaning forward a bit, tail extended out behind him and keeping balance; his thick claws click on the floor with each step, the wickedly-curved claws held up off the floor; and his face and ears in full view, the hood of the cloak lowered. Many would not recognize Ed, had it not been Al's familiar armor to match with the vaguely-familiar young man accompanying him.

"I guess you're right, brother." Al is silent as they walk, a bit intrigued that both he and Ed now both make noise as they walk--his own clanking, and now Ed's claws. He listens to that sound until they exit the nicely-waxed floors of the building and meet the night air. For as long as everything had taken, nighttime had descended a while ago.

"Oh.. wow."

"Hm? Ed?" Al looks down at Ed, startled to see his brother's pupils dilated drastically. "Ed! Are you okay?"

"Al, I can see everything. It's almost like it's day out, yet." Ed slowly gazes around the courtyard, then up at the sky. "It's dim, but bright.. I can see the moon, but it doesn't look like night." Unaware of his nifty little rhyme, Ed walks forward, staring all around them as they continue. "Al, if only you could see!"

Al trots up next to his brother. "He gave you night vision? Like a cat?" Al is, understandably, confused.

"This has to be better than a cat's. It really is almost like day." Ed pauses, then grins. "Al, come on!" Ed starts to run off, but stops when Al calls out.

"Brother! Wait, what are you doing?"

"Well, I'm stuck like this for now, aren't I? I want to see what else this body can do." A devious flash glances across his eyes, accompanied by his wicked grin.

"Brother, you're scaring me.."

"Aw come on, Al! Try to indulge in a little fun! I think we could use it."

"Well, yeah.." As Ed starts to run off, Al follows, always being the precautious one. {What if something happens, Ed? What if you cause trouble? You're always running off, so reckless, never thinking about the consequences..}

With a quick bolt, much faster than his race in Risembool, Ed soon finds himself at the stairway down to the city; with a yelp of surprise, he finds he's leapt a good ten feet into the air. Thankful to his honed reflexes, he is able to quickly land, grab balance, and trot a few more feet before stopping. Needless to say, he's startled the few people nearby, and even finds one gun trained on him; at least until the woman spotted Ed's pocket watch and lowered the gun in confusion.

"Brother!" Al comes running right behind him, racing down the steps. "I warned you about that!"

At this, the woman puts two and two together, then bows to Ed. "M-my apologies, sir."

Ed just waves her off and starts heading down the stairs at a usual walk, though finds the process unsettling, as he's leaning forward while walking down a grade.

"Brother.."

"I hope this doesn't make it harder to find the stone." Ed suddenly speaks, his voice low and void of the enthusiasm he'd displayed minutes ago.

Al jumps a bit. "..How so?"

"Well, meeting new people seems to be an important part of the process. So far people have bucked at my automail, my being in the military; even my being an alchemist. How do you think they'll react to this?"

Looking at his brother from the side, Al sighs silently. "I'm sorry this happened to you, Brother. If I had my way, I would have taken your place."

Ed's memory flashes back to when the Doctor had spoken of Al in such a harsh manner; a fleshless shell. The words still made Ed sick; he clenched his hands into fists, catching Al's attention. "No, Al. It's my burden now."

Al watches Ed, then faces forward, saying nothing more as they walk through the quiet streets of Central. They eventually find their way back to the old apartment, which Al had wisely kept up on, in case his brother had somehow returned. Ed was amused to see the books he had read that fateful Prank Day's eve in their same spot; Al hadn't touched them. He picks one up now; it's on stories of pranks gone wrong. He chuckles a bit at the thought, then looks over as Al cleans up a few maps.

"Hey, Al. Just how did Mustang react when he found all of his clothes too small?"

Al looks over at Ed, who can hear a small laugh. "I don't know, but it must've been funny."

"..What do you mean you don't know?"

"Well, when I went to the Colonel's office to report you missing, he didn't say anything about his clothes. He just thought that you were going to jump out of my armor or something, since it was Prank Day and you were nowhere to be seen."

This is enough to send Ed into a fit of snickering, and Al is once again glad to see Ed in good spirits, even if it is at someone else's expense. "Just wait 'til next year. I'll come up with something even better."

Al groans and shakes his head. "Stay out of his house, please, brother."

"Ah, you're no fun, Al."

---

Morning has Mustang sending for Ed already, resulting in a grumpy Ed stomping down the sidewalk with his brother trailing behind only by a bit. "Cheer up Ed, at least things are going back to normal. A bit."

"I can't have one day off. As soon as he knows I'm alive, he sends for me to do more of his dirty work," Ed snaps back, also irritated by the reactions of all of the civilians they're passing. Fear, hostility, pity.. the whole mix of it, he knew he would have to expect; but it's not as easy to bear as he'd thought. This would tail him wherever he went, too. Fuck.

However, hope occasionally shows its face. As Ed and Al walk toward Central Command, Ed spots a little girl running toward them. He stops, and she stops only just before bumping into them. With a suprised look on her face, she looks up at Ed, who looms over her in height comparison. She stares, and Ed gains an uneasy look on his face; she then smiles. "Waow, you look so cool!"

Ed blinks, dumbstruck, then grins a bit, his fangs revealed. "Ahh, thanks.. I think."

"What are you? You look like a person. But wiv a dinosaur mixed in too."

"Kind of, I guess. Somebody did this to me. I didn't ask him to." Ed spots the mother searching for her little girl, and waves down the woman, who looks startled when she first spots his appearance from a distance.

"Whaa? He did?" With a thoughtful look on her face, she comes out with something unexpected. "Can he make me wif a kitty?"

While Al sniggers off to the side, Ed frowns. "Sorry, he's.. not doing any more people." Relieved when the concerned mother runs up, he takes a step back, and the mother spots Ed's features in full view, including the claws. "She, uh.. she just appeared out of nowhere."

Hearing Ed's voice, the woman relaxes. "Oh, uh.. thank you." She looks at her daughter, then again at Ed. "For watching my little Nina."

Ed and Al both freeze at the name, their memories flashing back to the Nina they had known years ago. Ed looks down at this young, innocent Nina, and manages a weak smile before turning, walking off without another word. Al at least manages a little wave to the little girl and her confused mother, before following Ed wordlessly. They had both felt it; those memories of Nina would always tear at them.

Ed walks into Mustang's office, ignoring the unending barrage of stares thrust his way. He walks right up to Mustang's desk, holding out his flesh hand to accept his next assignment, not saying a word, nor displaying any contempt on his face. He's joined immediately afterward by Al, who had been walking slightly behind him.

Mustang looks up at Ed, and is startled to see the look of a lost child on his face. {Something must have shook him up. It looks like he's been keeping this inside, too.} Mustang looks down at the folder on his desk, sitting right in the middle of his piles of paperwork; the all-important mission that he was so ready to paw off to Ed with a smug, cocky smile. "Well, Fullmetal, good to see you back already," he tries.

"Didn't have much of a choice. You called me back here already." No change in his expression, and his voice conveys no emotion.

Mustang frowns, holding up the folder. "Look, Ed," he lowers his voice so none of his subordinates hear him; "if you need to take some time off, I can arrange it."

Ed looks right into Mustang's eyes, and only smiles a bit--making Ed's sad, lost expression much more eerie and depressing. "Now why would I do that? Al and I gotta get our bodies back." Ed takes the folder and turns, not even looking inside or asking Mustang about details before leaving.

Mustang watches them go, and realizes. Ed's been shot down so many times. He's failed to restore himself or his brother, and with another incident nipping at their heels, Ed has decided to just give up. Forgo the cocky smartassery that Mustang has come to know and love; Ed has decided to put his complete trust in Mustang that no matter what stupid crap Mustang will have him do, that one day, one of those missions will lead him to the stone.

At this realization, Mustang's heart sinks like a dead weight. Ed needs that energy, that push; that rebellious side to him. Without that, Ed has already given up what everyone knows as Ed. Without that, even Al will prefer his brother to stay his good ol' badass self than to try for perfection with this new Ed.

Mustang suddenly stands, swiftly walking from the office, heading after the Elric brothers. He catches up with them easily and pulls Ed into an empty room, shutting the door and leaving a confused Al outside.

"Ed."

Ed looks up at Mustang, gripping the folder in his hand. "?"

"Talk to me," Mustang says, his voice stronger than he'd intended. He softens his voice a little. "Tell me what's going on in that mind of yours."

Ed casts his eyes down to the side, tail and ears drooping. "What is there to tell? I'm going to get our bodies back."

"You know that's not what I mean. You look like you've given up all hope!"

"I didn't give up," Ed hisses, and finally, Mustang sees a bit of that Fullmetal conviction. "I'm just going to follow on all of these missions, one-by-one, until I find a lead. I have to find a lead eventually. And I'm going to do them as fast as I can, because I can't keep making Al wait. He-he needs his body back, you know?" Ed's voice cracks toward the end, but he's unable to stop himself. "It's not even about me, I don't care, I'll look like this the rest of my life if it means Al gets his body back!" Ed grits his teeth tightly, his body trembling as tears begin roling down his cheeks.

Mustang, completely caught off guard, isn't sure of what to say to Ed. "..You will find it. I know you--"

"Stop saying that!" Ed snaps, choking on a sob. "Everyone says that! You and Al and Winry and Pinako and everyone says that but it's been years and he's STILL IN THAT ARMOR! Because I haven't FOUND IT yet!" Ed looks at his automail, and points at the door. "He can't sleep, he can't eat, he can't smell or feel and it's because I haven't found the damn stone yet!" He hisses, before realizing that he's breaking apart in front of the one person he never vowed to show his weakness to. With a stifed curse, Ed shakes his head, whipping around and bolting from the room. He yanks his hood up and charges for the exit to Central Command, the folder still tight in his hand; a confused Al calling after him, tailing him as quickly as possible.

Ed doesn't even remember the steps. Running down the long steps to the military building, taking them easily in stride. Neither does he remember running full-blast through the city, straight for the outskirts. And, worst yet, he doesn't remember losing Al anywhere, only finding now, in some godawful gloomy graveyard outside of the city, that he'd collapsed in a heap on weed-choked ground. A single gravestone looms over him; an angel with outstretched arms to comfort the living. He finds the irony of it to be both beautiful and disgusting, but just lays there and curls up, wishing his problems away; wishing for the answers. Wishing for something.

Several hours later, by some miracle--had the angel led him here? No, that's silly--Al arrives, spots Ed, all dirty from the running and the crying and the ground he'd been laying on, and runs over to him. As he nears and sees that Ed is safe, just appears to be asleep, he sits next to Ed.

"You scare me, Ed," Al speaks softly. "You run off too much. And how you acted today.. You really scared me. It look like you gave up." Not expecting a reaply from Ed, Al continues a few moments later. "But you don't give up. You never have. Out of everything I've witnessed.. Ed, you're the only one who has kept going, no matter what." Al's voice lowers even further, wavering. "There have even.. been times where I-I wanted to give up. But I just look at you," Al continues, his voice gaining strength; "and I know that I can't, because you won't. What kind of brother would I be if I wasn't as good to you as you are to me?" Still silent, Ed is shocked by that statement. "I'm sorry, Ed. I'll try to help more with finding the stone. I promise. I promise, Brother."

Ed begins crying again, pushing himself up to give the cold armor a tight hug. "Al, how can you think that? Don't ever think that you're not good to me. You could never be any better to me than you are." He gives the armor a tight squeeze, and Al can feel the emotion, the conviction in his voice. "I love you, Al..!"

Al returns the hug, careful not to squeeze too hard. He knows better than to argue, and simply replies in agreement, his own voice cracking, though no tears can come. "I love you too, Ed."

After the uneventful train ride [save for Ed finishing the book, and thinking about it the rest of the trip], the Elric brothers leave the station in the small town of Mistwell to head for their destination. As with everywhere so far, Ed is garnering the attention of everyone, but in this smaller town, there's more pointing, whispering, and glaring. Ed, of course, ignores it, and continues his walk.

"Brother.. the people here seem angry at you," Al whispers as they walk down the dirt road. "Not many people look scared, like back in Central."

"Yeah, I noticed. I don't know why, though." Ed continues to ignore the people, until, from the direction of a preteen boy, a clod of dirt slams into the side of his head. Keeping his balance, Ed looks over at the boy, shaking a fist. "HEY! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!"

"Get out of our town, chimera!" The boy yells, picking up another dirt clod. "We don't need any more of your kind here! We're sick of that crazy Fahren doctor stinkin' up our town with his monsters!"

Ed dodges the next dirt clod, and with a quick jump, stands right in front of the boy, startling him and causing him to take a step backward. "I'm not associated with Fahren. Tell me what you know and maybe I can help." Al walks over to join Ed, suprised that Ed can leap ten feet with ease.

The boy looks up at Ed fearfully, taking in the angry look on his face combined with the fangs, the striping on his skin and, worst of all, those deadly sickle-shaped claws. "Uh-uhm, Doctor Fahren, he makes these chimeras. He makes them smart, but u-using smart animals, like monkeys and birds.. and uses dogs for loyalty.. and something really strong and powerful, like wolves and lions. He wants to be able to control them, and he's good at it. He-he makes sure they don't attack anyone.. but he uses them to threaten people to help with getting supplies and to get assistants for his work." He's silent for a few moments, but the brothers can tell there's something more he wants to say. "The animals fight back though, if they're attacked. And a few people here in town were afraid, y'know? So they tried to kill them. The monsters wouldn't die. No matter how many times they were injured, they just healed over and over again, like it was nothing. Those men.. they were killed when they tried to beat the monsters." The boy looks up with hatred flashing in his eyes. "If you can get rid of Fahren and his monsters, I'll do anything to repay you!"

Al speaks before Ed can. "..Were one of those men close to you?"

"My father," he says, gritting his teeth. "The monster was--it was curious--about me, and dad thought it was going to attack me. So my dad came and.. and.." He shakes his head, the tears finally starting to come. "I don't want to watch anyone else die."

Ed clenches his hands into fists. "What's your name?"

The boy looks up at Ed, blinking away the blurring tears. "Rosco."

"Rosco. We're going to go check on his work, and from there, we'll deal with it. Promise. Just keep this a secret, okay?"

"Uhm, sure.. yeah. Can-can I come?"

"I think it's best if we go ahead first. Learn all we can before taking action."

{Yeah, because we always do it that way,} Al thinks sarcastically. "Don't worry, we'll do everything we can."

Rosco nods slowly. "All right. But you guys hafta let me know what's going on!"

"Deal," Al says as they start to walk off.

Rosco hesitates, then trots up to them. "Hey wait. You didn't tell me your names."

"Oh. I'm Edward Elric, and this is my brother, Alphonse."

"Elric.. oh! The Fullmetal Alchemst!" Rosco's eyes like up. "But you're a chimera?"

Ed sighs. "It's a recent change. I.."

"Someone experimented on him. But he's still the same, he just looks different," Al offers, and Ed gives him a look to thank him. While Ed wouldn't say it, the memories of that place made it difficult for him to talk about it.

"Oh. So.. you know what these animals are going through." Rosco nods. "I know that you guys are the good guys. You'll fix this." He smiles and steps aside for the brothers to pass.

"We really have worked up a name for ourselves, haven't we?" Ed asks Al as they continue walking, a cheerful smile on his face.

"Yeah. We're known even by kids in a small town like this. That's pretty neat."

"It's good to be famous," Ed says with a grin. "I think it'll make it easier for people to get past my new looks, too."

"No doubt. Did you see Rosco's face light up when he found out who we were? It completely changed how he viewed us."

"Good thing we have a good reputation."

"Y-oh hey Ed! Isn't that the Doctor's house?"

"Yeah." Ed gains a little shiver. "Looks the same.."

Al looks down at his brother, frowning internally at Ed's sudden apprehension. "What is it, Brother?"

Ed stops walking, staring at the innocent-looking house, which matches Doctor Gene's place--they both looked like normal houses on the outside, only to hide horrific experimentation. Realizing that he's going into the same environment that he escaped from not long ago, Ed freezes on the spot, blood curdling. "Al.." Ed's voice comes out strained. "Al, I can't go in there."

Al looks at the house, then at Ed. He's putting two and two together, but still asks. "Brother.. just what did the doctor do and how?"

Ed stares at the house, but is looking through it; the memories are blasting in his mind, as though he's reliving the ordeal. Ed begins speaking, but he doesn't really realize he is. He explains the whole thing to Al in broken and halting and rambling speech, and only when Al touches his arm, does he realize he's shaking and silent, with cheeks wet from tears.

"Ed, wake up. It's okay, I'm here. You're here. You're not there anymore." When Ed looks up at him, with bewildered eyes, Al pulls him into a hug, his cool armor comforting Ed and bringing him back to his senses. "I'll never let that happen to you again, okay?"

Ed closes his staring eyes as he returns to Al's comforting presence. "Yeah." His voice is a whisper. "I'm sorry, Al."

"Don't apologize, Ed. Just remember that it'll never happen to you again, as long as we're together."

Ed nods, pulling away as Al relaxes. He wipes the tears from his face with the sleeves of his coat; he then focuses his attention on Fahren's place, his tail beginning to sway behind him in anticipation. In a voice loaded with determination, Ed speaks, suprising Al with the sudden emotional change. "Well Al, let's go."

Al follows Ed as he heads for the door, and after knocking, it opens--revealing not a human, but a chimera. The chimera has a face of a dog, with oversized pointed ears, and a mane of feathers running the length down its back. It's a four-legged creature, with birdlike-talons for forelegs, and large, thick paws on its canine legs in the back. Its tail is just a messy clump of feathers, clearly the least-planned part of the animal. Its one talon is still resting on the doorknob, having had the ability to open it; its large blue eyes look between the two, as though trying to figure them out.

Ed speaks first, and the creature's eyes snap to him. "I'm Edward. This is Alphonse. We have come to see Doctor Farhen." He keeps it simple, wondering just how smart these chimeras are.

To both brothers' suprise, the creature speaks, although it sounds strained. "Ed-ward. Ar-phonz. Come see fah-zer. Come in, I get fah-zer." It turns to walk off, allowing both Elrics into the house, which is lit only by sunlight filtering in through partially-drawn curtains. As the chimera walks off, the first thing Ed notices; this place could really use a woman's touch. It's a bit messy; there's blankets around, books scattered, and dust and dirt evident on the wooden floor. The next thing he notices are creatures walking toward them from the darker part of the house where the first chimera had disappeared to. These two appear to be more muscular, and from the look of their eyes, less intelligent. One, a half-reptile, half-wolf creature; and the other, a half-bird and half-tiger. They approach Ed and Al, who are understandably nervous; they hear a voice from the darkness. "Ed-ward, Ar-phonz, come now. Fah-zer see you."

Obeying the first chimera's invitation, Ed and Al walk into the darkness, Ed's eyes easily adjusting, with Al following the sound of Ed's claws clicking on the wooden floor. They're led to a door, which is opened by their guide chimera, and led down a flight of stone stairs. While Al has no trouble, Ed finds the stairs challengingly steep for his new legs, and so has to take them slowly and sideways, holding onto the rail with an annoyed grunt.

At the very bottom, they're led through the dimly-lit room, filled with books and tables and what looks like medical equipment. Then into yet another room, the door looking well-concealed. As the guide chimera opens it, Ed's dilated pupils are suddenly blinded by bright lighting inside. With a gasp, Ed shuts his eyes and puts his automail arm across them, but his eyes adjust rather quickly. Squinting, he spots an average-looking middle-aged man, standing with a white coat on. He's got long black hair pulled back into a ponytail, and a curious and inviting look on his face. "Hello, Edward and Arphonze. I see you made it with no trouble. I hope Ruvie was a good host?"

The guide chimera walks to the Doctor, rubbing its head against his hand affectionately. "Ru-vie good host. Have Ed-ward and Ar-phonz come to fah-zer. Fah-zer hap-py?"

"Yes, Ruvie. Very happy. Thank you." Ruvie's face lights up and he licks the Doctor's hand. "Ru-vie good boy." Ruvie sits next to the Doctor, watching Ed and Al expectantly.

"..Ruvie, huh," Ed speaks. "That's quite an achievement, making a talking chimera with that level of intelligence."

"Yes, Ruvie is my pride and joy; my crowning achievement. He is a very good boy." At this, Ruvie's large ears lift a bit, and Ed and Al watch that happy expression cross the creature's face again.

"I'm curious to know how you did it."

The Doctor narrows his eyes a bit, looking into Ed's eyes. He had already taken inventory of Ed's form, but said nothing about it until now. "I hope you'll understand, but I'd like to hear your story first. After all, I have never seen another chimera like yourself; clearly, the mind behind your design was brilliant. Was it at your request? If so, you have very good taste."

Ed's eyes darken a bit, but he answers level-headedly. "This was against my will, and I regret to tell you, but the alchemist who pioneered me had an accident and is not longer with us."

"Ah.. you weren't too keen on your new body, then."

"I wasn't, but I didn't get a look at it until after the accident. In escaping, I knocked over a table with volatile chemicals. I had no idea, and the whole place blew up before either of us could get far. I escaped."

Fahren nods slowly. "That's a shame. I would have liked to share notes. I do apologize though; I'm sorry you had to be subjected to that. But, it really is a good change, yes." He looks Ed over again, and Ed, though relieved and kind of glad to find someone who isn't bothered by his appearance, is a bit creeped out by the doctor's gaze of awe.

Ed nods, then looks around at the room; he spots at least ten creatures lounging around, looking healthy enough, but just bored. "So, these are your chimeras. Are they all as intelligent as Ruvie?"

"Oh, goodness, no. Ruvie is my smartest friend. There is one other chimera, Allen, who is smarter than the rest of them; though not as smart as Ruvie. Allen, could you come here, please?"

One of the chimeras in the room stands and makes its way over to the four. Allen looks to be another bird-mixture, but a blue bird with a white tiger and something else mixed in that the brothers can't pick out. Allen stops next to Fahren, looking up at the boys; his blue eyes look between the two, then up at Fahren. "Fahr?"

"Friends, Allen. Ed and Ar." Fahren talks to Allen much more simply than he does to Ruvie.

Allen looks back at Ed and Al, speaking slowly after contemplating. "Ed.. Ar. Frenhs. Fahrs frenhs." He waves his shaggy black-tipped tail around behind him, and Ed finally picks out the other animal. Wolf. Allen's face, though feline in shape, has a muzzle that is too long for a tiger. The ears are just a bit too pointy, and the body is more canine-shaped then feline. He watches that blue-feather-maned creature look up at Fahren again, speaking once more. "Arren frenhs?"

"Yes, Allen. Ed and Ar. Allen's friends."

Allen looks up at Ed and Al, and without warning, suddenly leaps, propelling his massive tiger body straight at Ed.

"Brother!" Al gasps, and moves quickly to come to Ed's aid; but he soon finds that Allen, having tackled Ed under several hundred pounds of bird-tiger-wolf, is only licking Ed's face in a friendly motion. As Al watches this, he can't help but laugh.

Ed tries to get the slobber off of him, making a loud 'yech' sound. "Al don't laugh help me! Gaah!" He can't budge under Allen's weight, and almost instinctively kicks Allen off, before remembering that his foot claws would injure the giant gentle beast. "Fahren get 'im off!"

Fahren apologetically calls Allen back over to him. "He is still just a big puppy, you see. He's very large, very friendly, and very naive. I would like to take him outside with me, but the one time I did.. well, he wanted to play with the first person he saw, and naturally, they thought he was attacking. I called Allen back before an incident happened, but I know that earned me a bit of a reputation in town."

"So you've never thought of using your chimeras for intimidation?" Ed asks, sitting up, tail still under him.

"Well.." Fahren looks over at his other chimeras, snaps his fingers, and points to Ed and Al. "Corner."

On cue, all the chimeras, save Ruvie and Allen, bolt over to Ed and Al, surrounding them. They still look docile, until Fahren says one more word; "Teeth." At that command, they all bare their teeth, growling low in their throats, sending shivers down Ed's spine.

"So I would say you have." Ed looks up at Fahren, looking quite angry.

"Oh, relax. This is only a demonstration. They won't harm you unless you provoke them. See; watch." He looks at his chimeras. "Attack." They just keep their position. "Kill." Still nothing. "Maim. Tear. Claw. Bite. Go nuts." No words trigger an attack from them, and Ed looks around at them.

"Why don't they attack?"

"I may have made them from animals with attitude, but I have made them carefully. These animals will not attack unless they are first provoked, and then it will be self-defense only, until the attacker backs off. My animals, simply put, have enough intelligence to override their natural fighting drive. They don't like to fight. They will avoid it. They prefer friendly company."

"I wonder if the military wouldn't prefer something a bit more.. vicious."

Fahren narrows his eyes. "Is that who you're with? ..No, they wouldn't have a chimera working for them. They would study you before they'd let you go free." Having convinced himself, Fahren nods. "I know the military would want something with a little more.. oomph. So I tried something a little different. Come with me." He leads the boys to another door, and Ruvie and Allen follow as well. However, Ruvie stops at the door, staying behind while Ed, Al, Fahren and Allen all enter. Before Ruvie closes the door, Al looks down at him.

"Ruvie? Why aren't you coming?"

Ruvie looks up at Al fearfully, pointing into the room. "Bad room. Figh-ting room. Ru-vie no fight. Ru-vie friend, no fight. Arren go. Arren shrong. Arren keep fah-zer.." He trails off, not knowing the right word again. His blue eyes show that he's thinking hard. "..safe. Arren keep fah-zer safe."

Al nods understandingly. "Thank you, Ruvie." He gives Ruvie a little scratch behind the ear before heading after Ed, Fahren and Allen. The door shuts behind them, leaving them in dim lighting again; but from the other room, Ruvie flicks a switch, and Ed is once again momentarily blinded. Al can't help but smile at Ed's little curse.

"Here we are. Edward, Arphonze, meet Doug." Fahren motions to a chimera, and both brothers gasp in shock. "Doug is a mix of lion, hawk, and snake. Needless to say, I focused more on his body than his mind."

"Clearly.." Ed mumbles taking in Doug's form. Doug is nearly as large as Allen, with a feline face, slitted eyes, a mane made entirely of brown feathers. His body is clearly lion, tail is long and whip-like, from the snake in him. His forelegs are heavily muscled, all lion paw and claw; his rear legs are bird, deadly sharp talons attacked to thick, powerful haunches. Overall though, Doug isn't displacing any vicious tendencies.

"Doug is.. special. Compared to the others, he's not as docile. He is just as loyal, but if I tell him to attack, he will. And even if you run, he will follow you and attack. If I call him off, he will return to me. If I tell him to fetch you, he will bring you back to me." Fahren looks down at Doug, then unlatches the metal collar around his neck. "He's very strong, but doesn't quite attack to kill.. unless I use that specific command." Fahren looks down at Doug, then points at Ed. "Doug. Corner."

Doug's head instantly snaps to Ed, and leaps over to him, a low, rumbling growl emanating from his throat. He steps forward, and Ed finds himself, this time, literally being backed into a corner. Fahren follows, and explains to Ed. "As Doug is part snake, his mouth opens rather wide. His retractable fangs are several inches long, and very painful. But the most of a poison you have to fear is from infection. I did not use a poisonous snake. I refuse to." He shakes his head. "I won't let the fight last too long, I promise."

Ed's eyes widen and he gapes at Fahren. "Wh--fight?! You're CRAZY! I never agreed to a--"

"Doug! Attack!"

Al gasps as Doug leaps onto Ed, easily knocking him over. While slightly smaller than the average lion, Doug is still heavier than Ed, and had caught the short man by suprise. Doug aims for Ed's shoulder, but Ed quickly has his right arm up in defense; Fahren is about to call off Doug when he sees Doug has bit into metal. "..Automail?"

Al grabs Fahren by the shoulder, turning him to face him. "Call off the fight, now! Ed never agreed to this!"

Fahren frowns. "Fine. Doug!" He yells out. Defense!"

Doug releases Ed's arm, looking at Fahren before turning back to Ed and growling. He retreats, but holds his ground.

Ed sits up, pointing at Fahren with his automail hand. "YOU'RE INSANE! You don't just HAVE SOMEONE ATTACK THEM!" To Ed's surprise, Doug suddenly bites down on Ed's automail hand.

"Ed! I thought you called off the--"

"Doug! Bad! Come!" Fahren snaps his fingers, and Doug immediately releases Ed's hand, trotting over to Fahren.

"You didn't call him off!" Al continues, and Fahren sighs.

"I did. I called him into defensive stance. He would only attack if he or I were threatened. I guess he didn't like Edward's attitude."

"MY attitude?!" Ed yells, jumping up and pointing at Fahren again. "YOU HAD THAT THING ATTACK ME!"

"Just to demonstrate!" Fahren yells, but calms down when Allen growls lowly in his throat at Ed. "It's okay, Allen."

Ed calms himself, for sake of Allen. "You know you can't let the military get hold of your knowledge, Fahren. Once they see how you can create these chimeras and control them, especially Doug--you know they'll only create monsters for war."

Fahren frowns. "I need more money. For animals, for research. Edward, I think I'm close to saving lives with these animals."

Ed's eyes widen. "You never said anything about saving lives."

"See.. that's what this is about. I've stumbled upon a way to make these chimeras nearly immortal. Watch." He calls Allen over, pulls out a knife, and slices it across Allen's arm gently. Allen pulls back, looking at Fahren in confusion; but as it heals before the brothers' eyes, Fahren comforts Allen, gives him a scratch behind the ears, and tells him he's a good boy.

"It just.. healed. In seconds," Al remarks.

"Yes. And I can do the same for people. Well.."

"Well what?"

"I've tried. I've isolated the gene, but I'm unable to implement it into a human."

"What happened to the ones you've tried to do it to?"

Fahren looks at Allen, and knows he's already said too much to hide the truth now. "They died."

Ed's eyes widen. "You killed them for your own resea--"

"No!" Fahren yells, glaring at Ed. "They were already dying. That's why I chose them. They needed the help. They were dead without it anyway." He pats Allen's head, comforting himself more than anyone. "I only had two healthy volunteers." His voice is quiet. "Their bodies were rejecting it. It was killing them. I wanted to help them, but it was killing them. So I saved them, the only way I knew how."

Al looks at Fahren, who is staring into Allen's eyes with a sad smile. "How did you do it?"

"Ruvie and Allen," Fahren says quietly. "I bonded the mens' souls with chimeras that I had created. Ruvie was the smarter man. Allen.. Allen was not a stupid man, but the soul attachment didn't go as smoothly. He doesn't have any of his memories from when he was human."

"..And Ruvie remembers being a human?" Al says shakily.

"Yes. But he knows what he did. He agreed to help me, and the animal mind he shares with his own is much simpler; one he enjoys. So he allows himself to act.. less intelligent than he is."

"Ruvie is human," Ed whispers. "And he knows it. But he lets himself act like an animal?"

"No, no. You misunderstand. Ruvie was human. In his mind, he knows he'll never be human again. So he's making the best of his new body, and helping me in a different way."

"You're sick," Ed hisses, shaking his head. "You performed human trans--"

"They volunteered," Fahren replies, keeping his voice steady for Allen, who is staring at Ed.. angrily? "They volunteered, they knew it could kill them, they knew the risks. I warned them of the risks. When something went wrong, I saved them. I gave them a new life. They're happy now."

"They don't know any better!" Ed yells, but suddenly, the door opens behind them and Ruvie walks in. "Wh--Ruvie?"

Ruvie walks up, looking up at Ed. "Ru-vie re-mem-ber. I hu-man once." He pauses, closing his eyes, focusing before continuing to speak. "Fah-ren had off-er. I took it. I ar-most.. I ar-most die." Ruvie's words begin coming faster, more fluent, and with a larger vocabulary. "Fah-ren save me, give me a new bo-dy, new rrife. He is rike fa-zher.. dad to me. I know I sound not smart, rike you, but animar is not smart. Animar is.. is.. in-no-cent. Briss-fur. I en-joy. I not need smart to be hap-py." He opens his eyes, looking at a shocked Ed and Al. "I re-mem-ber.. you. Ed-ward.." Ruvie's eyes flash as the memory slams him. "Ed-ward Er-ric. Foo-me-dar a-ka-misht!" He points at Ed. "Ed. Ed. Ed."

Ed's eyes widen and he stares at Ruvie. "Where..do you know me from?"

Ruvie looks up at Fahren, who is silent, staring at him in amazement. "I.. in mi-ri-ta-ry too. I want catch bad men. I want make sh.. ci-ty safe. I ask fah-zer for pah-wer. He give. I die. He give me new bo-dy."

"How long ago?" Ed asks, and Fahren speaks.

"Nearly six months ago. Ruvie came to me.. and after only a week, I knew his body was failing. I had to save him. He was so promising, so pure."

Ed frowns and shakes his head. "You should never have started this research, Doctor."

"I told you, it's only to help. And.." He looks at Ruvie. "I'm making the chimeras more intelligent. Soon they'll be almost as smart as humans. And then, when a human soul is bound to them, they--"

"You can't do that!" Ed yells. "You can't play god! Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Why would you subject anyone to this? Are you trying to make an army?"

"I'm trying to help mankind!" Fahren yells. "There are so many who are terminally ill, or mortally wounded. And with this, I can help them all! I can give them a new chance at life!"

"The world works the way it will. We can't change it," Ed says, the memory of his mother surfacing in his mind. "You might think you can save the world, but I guarantee you, your intention for good will only be used for destruction. Please, don't let the military drag you in."

Fahren narrows his eyes. "I will continue my research. I promised Ruvie. I have to continue."

"What, to make him smarter? He said he doesn't need to be smart!"

"Did it ever occur to you his reason for risking his life might be a little deeper than being a better soldier?"

"Well, Ruvie?" Ed asks. "Is there a deeper reason?"

Ruvie looks at Ed, his ears lowering all the way. "I want.. cure. To be shrong. To not die ea-sy. I want for daugh-ter. She weak. She hurt ea-sy. I try so daugh-ter is cure. Cure-d." He looks up at Ed and Al. "I jush want save daugh-ter."

Al's heart breaks and he looks down at Ed. "Brother.. he did this just for his daughter."

"And she's still alive?"

"In Central, with her mother," Fahren explains. "Ruvie and I went to Central once, a month ago, to check on them. I spoke with them." Fahren shifts his weight uneasily. "She misses her father, and her mother almost beat me when I said he was alive. She wanted to know how. Ruvie was outside, but.."

"I mish fam-a-ree. But.. I not hu-man an-more. I reave."

Ed's face softens and he walks forward, leaning down to pull Ruvie into a hug. "Yes you are, Ruvie. You're more human than a lot of people."

"Is that what Rosco told you?" Fahren asks, setting out tea for Ed and Al.

"Mhm. He said that you use the chimeras to intimidate people." Ed studies Fahren's face for a reaction.

"..I did that once or twice, in the beginning. I wasn't as careful as I am now. Now, I pretty much keep to myself. When I do go out, I take Ruvie with me. We only go to the store and the postal office.." He pauses. "Ruvie is talked about a lot, but--"

"I no mind." Ruvie hops into a chair at the table, claws resting on the edge of the table. He looks up at Fahren, who smiles.

"Okay, I'll make you some."

Ed looks at Ruvie expectantly.

"Mah bread. Is mah bread!"

"Garlic bread," Fahren chuckles. "Row--ah, Ruvie's favorite food as a human was pasta and garlic-based."

Ed picks up on Fahren's faltering and nods, then turns to Ruvie again. "Ruvie." When he has the chimera's attention, he continues. "As a human, was your name Ruvie?"

Ruvie looks at Fahren, then to Ed. "..No. Was Row-an. Rrr.. Rowan." Putting effort into it, Ruvie gets the name out all at once.

"Rowan? Isn't that a type of tree?" Al offers.

Ruvie just gives Al a look. "Is what mama named me. Rowan."

Al holds up his hands apologetically. "Oh, no, I didn't mean it that way. Sorry."

Ruvie just smiles, the best way he can. "Is o-kay!"

"Fahren, there's one thing I'm wondering."

Fahren looks at Ed, a quizzical look on his face.

"If you were worried about the military showing up here, why do you have a file on you in Central command?"

"Oh, I--I.. wrote to someone in the military about my work. Someone I can trust."

Ed blinks curiously. "..You trust Mustang?"

"I do," Fahren replies. "He's a good man."

Ed gives a little shrug. He decides not to share his viewpoint on Mustang right now, and just enjoys his tea.

While Ruvie waits on his garlic bread, he spots Al sitting next to Ed, not touching his tea. "Ar-phonz, why no drink tea?" Damn, someone always notices.

Al jumps a little, then shrinks down. Luckily, Ed answers for him.

"It's a disciplinary thing, for his training."

Ruvie looks at Al, then sniffs. He continues sniffing, then climbs up onto the table, walking over to Al, sniffing him. "..Have no scent. No.. bo-dy?" Ruvie nudges Al's armor, and Fahren turns around.

"..No body?" He walks forward, the garlic bread on his plate. He hands it to Ruvie, who sits on the table and begins eating right away. "Just a soul..?"

Ed stiffens in defense, but Al speaks, and looks down at Ruvie. "No, I don't have a body. I lost it in an accident, but Ed here kept me with him. Because we're family." Ed looks up at Al, and he gains a soft smile.

"..Fam-a-ree."Ruvie looks down, and sighs, putting the bread back on the plate. "..Miss famuh-ree."

"Why don't you let them know that you're okay?" Al asks. "Even if you're not the same as before.. they'll still love you. I know it."

Ruvie is silent, just stares at Al for a while. "..You no bo-dy. You no same.. as be-fore. Bro-ver rove you.." He looks down at himself, at the talons and the fur, and starts crying, something Fahren had never seen him do. "Fam-ree rove me too may-be. Fah-zer I want go to fam-ree. We go to Cen-traw?"

Fahren takes a deep breath, nodding. A tight knot is in his throat, and Ed finishes his tea, nodding. {Since Fahren knows nothing of the stone, the search is still on. Still, I'll see this through.} "When shall we leave?"

"Not yet," Fahren says. "I have to make sure the others are cared for. The other chimeras."

Ed nods. "I may have an idea."

---

"W-wait, why-why are we here?"

"I told you Rosco, I need your help."

"But Ed! This is where those monsters live!"

Ed sighs. "Rosco.. they're not really monsters. They only attack when they're attacked. If your father had stopped attacking, so would that chimera. I'm sorry.. but the chimera was only defending itself."

Rosco growls at Ed. "You're lying. How could you believe what--GAH!" He points, as Ruvie comes running out, stopping at the two.

"Rosco, this is Ruvie. Ruvie is the one who needs your help. You see.. his real family is in Central. His wife and daughter. But for us to leave, we need someone to care for the other chimeras while we're gone."

Rosco stares down at Ruvie. "How can you have a family? You're just a monster."

Ruvie cringes at the word. "I not a mon-ster! I hu-man. Have new bo-dy. But am stiw hu-man, in here." He pats his chest with the back of his talon, and Ed smiles, proud at the effort Ruvie's been putting into talking lately.

Rosco stares at Ruvie with buggy eyes, then looks up at Ed. "He's a person? That Fahren is messing with people now?!"

"No. It's a long story, but he's actually helping them. I know, I don't support it either, but it's done now. And now we want to help Ruvie. Will you watch the chimeras while we take Ruvie to his family?"

Rosco looks down into Ruvie's sad, pleading eyes, and groans. "..Fine. Just tell me what I have to do."

---

With Rosco to hold down the fort in Mistwell, Ed, Al, Fahren and Ruvie are aboard the train. Ed had shelled out big bucks for first-class tickets to avoid trouble due to their appearances. Sure, he could handle them messing with himself.. but if anyone tried to go after Ruvie; well, it's just a lot simpler this way.

For the entire train ride, they talk. Well, mostly it's Ruvie talking. And the more he talks, the more he practices and the more effort he puts in; the better he gets, the better he sounds. To be fair, he still talks like a kid.

As for right now, he's talking about his favorite kind of book. "Before I animar, I read. Many books. I no read about ar-kamy. Ar-che-my. Ar-chemy. No, none dat. I read about fanta-sy. Knights, dragons, prin-cess..es. Favorite kind of books!" Ruvie suddenly pretends to be holding a sword in his little talon, leaping to his rear legs, balancing precariously, and pointing it at Al. Moments later, he loses balance and comically falls onto his back, but laughs. "Is best story! Is true too. Not happen much now-a-days, but is true!"

Al and Ed can't help but laugh with Ruvie, but Fahren just stares out the window as they near Central. He looks thoughtful, but neither brother pry, because it's more of a wistful expression than a worried one.

---

"You sure they live around here?" Ed asks, and Ruvie nods.

"Very near. Is.. ye-woh house."

"..I thought dogs were colorblind?" Al muses.

"No, can see some. Ye-woh and boo. Uh.. bu-woo." He groans. "Bad chi-mera mouth."

Heading down the street, a car passes them. It suddenly screeches to a halt not far from them, the door flying open. Roy Mustang suddenly leaps out, still in full military attire. He stares at the group, then points at them. "F-Fahren?!"

Fahren's eyes widen and he suddenly turns to bolt, but before he can, Al grabs him and holds him in place. If Mustang wants him, he's got a reason. "Fahren, what are you hiding from us??"

As Mustang approaches, Fahren groans and gives up his fight. As Al releases him, he turns to face Mustang.

"Fahren. It's been a long time."

Fahren looks at Mustang. He's slightly shorter, but they actually look a little similar. "..Hello, Roy."

Ed looks between the two, then nods. "Right, the correspondence."

Fahren smiles. "Yes, Edward. The correspondence." Before Roy can say anything, Ruvie sits up on his haunches, holding his talons up in a begging position. "Herro, friend!"

Mustang leaps into the air, landing with a startled look on his face. Ed can't hold in his sniggering as Roy points at Ruvie. "What is that?! It talked!!"

Ruvie looks up at Fahren, who nods. He turns to Roy again, and offers his hand in the handshake gesture he had used when he was still human. "I am Ru.." He pauses, then decides to use his human name. "Rowan. I am Rowan. I come to see my fam-aree."

Roy stares at Rowan, his face registering only confusion. He finally looks up at Edward, not even caring that Ed's still laughing at him. "Ed? Explain?"

Thankful that they can trust Mustang, Ed nods and begins explaining. He explains only what's relevant to Ruvie. Rowan. Ed has to correct himself, since Rowan seems to want his human name to be used now.

Roy's expression changes as he absorbs the information, and he looks down at Rowan, frowning. "..Human, huh." He looks up at Fahren. "So this is what you've been doing, Fahren?"

Fahren nods slowly. "I want to help people, Roy. I want to save them."

"I told you what use the military would have for your research. That's why you can't trust them to help you. That's why I asked you not to get into this research."

"I know I can help people, Roy! I'm not far from perfecting the chimeras to really help people! To save lives! You know that's why I do this."

"No, Fahren," Mustang says again, in his strong voice. "We've been over this. One day someone will get hold of your research and use it, and it won't be for the benefit of mankind. It'll be the benefit of whatever country that pays the spy that steals your research!"

Fahren clenches his fists, tears coming to his eyes. This is the most emotion that Ed and Al had ever seen from him. "I-I just want to help the world, Roy. Why can't I help the world? Why is it than whenever I try to help something, I only make it worse?!" He curses, and Mustang pulls him into a hug.

"Calm down, Fahren. You mean well, don't be hard on yourself. It's just the way the world is; it takes advantage of the innocents."

Fahren sighs and relaxes in Mustang's arms, pulling away not long after. He looks down at Ruvie, who is looking up at him curiously. Though Ed and Al are staring at the two men and wondering what's going to, Ruvie isn't quite as wondering; just curious.

"Mustang, what's going on here? How do you know him?"

Mustang looks at Ed, and smiles. "Ed, this is Fahren Mustang. My younger brother."

Ed points at Fahren, then at Roy, eyes practically popping out of his skull. "You have a BROTHER?!"

Roy sighs, a clearly annoyed look on his face. "Yes, Fullmetal, I have a brother."

Fahren is watching the exchange between Ed and his brother, unaware that Al is staring at him quietly.

"You never said you had a brother!"

"You never asked."

"Why didn't you ever just tell me?!"

"Oh, my apologies. 'Here Fullmetal, here's your next assignment. By the way, it's to go check on my little brother, so be nice.' Yes, that sounds perfectly normal."

Ed crosses his arms, behaving immaturely yet again. "Well you could've mentioned it."

Roy shakes his head and turns to his brother. "Well, let's get Rovan home."

"Rowan. Ro-wan, not Ro-van." Rowan stands and heads for the yellow house; it's only two houses away. When the group all walk up to the door, Rowan hesitates. "..What if they not want me? What if they.. afraid?" He looks up at the group he's with, clearly nervous.

"Rowan, even if you look different, they won't be afraid. As far as animal standards go, you're actually.. pretty cute." Al says, adding in a little 'heh' afterward.

Rowan tilts his head, then nods. "Okay." He turns to face the door, takes a deep breath, and knocks on it. His ears perk up as he hears movement inside, and when the door opens, the woman gasps at the sudden crowd of outlandishly-mismatched people. She is surprised, but not scared; for she remembers Ed from before.

Ed stares at the woman, then at the little girl who looks up at Rowan from behind her mother's leg. "..Nina?"

Nina looks up at Ed and smiles. "Dino-saur! You came back!"

Rowan looks at Ed, surprised that they've already met. But, gathering his courage, he turns to his wife, who now towers over her in height. "Uh.. mee.. A-Ame-ria?"

The group carefully watches the interaction as Rowan sits on his haunches, gaining some height.

"..You talk. How do you know my name?" Amelia looks up at Fahren and frowns. "I remember you. Did you teach him?"

"No, Ame-ria. Name from memory." Rowan does his best to use all of his human mind, pushing the animal mind away. "I remember you. I was not taught, not trained." He leans one 'hand' on the doorframe, steadying himself as he stands to his full height; though he still has to look up at his wife. He takes Amelia's hand in his free one and speaks, looking into her eyes. "I know I rook diff-rent." He pauses. "I reave, try to find cure for Nina. So Nina never get hurt. There was ac-cident, I awmost die. Fah-zer, ah.. Fah-ren save me, give me a new body. I know I not rook rike him any-more, but.." He takes a deep breath, large eyes watching her confused ones carefully. "Ame-ria, is me, Rowan."

Amelia suddenly whips her hand back in shock, eyes widening. "Rowan?! But you--" She looks at Fahren, who is looking at her with a sad smile; then at Ed, who is clearly human, despite the plethora of creature features. She looks down at Rowan, whose large blue eyes are staring at her hopefully, mouth open only a bit. "Rowan..?"

Nina looks up at Rowan, stepping out from behind her mom. She walks over to him and looks at his furry, feathery form. "..Daddy?"

Rowan looks down at Nina, then returns to all fours, coming eye-to-eye with his daughter. He reaches both arms and pulls Nina into a hug, holding her tightly. "Nina. So sorry. I miss you, want to come back awways. I was afraid. So sorry."

Nina hugs Rowan back, and Roy has to look off to the side to hide the unshed tears in his eyes, prompted by the touching scene.

"Daddy I missed you too! I have so much to show you and we gots a lotta playing to catch up on!"

Rowan smiles, but looks up at Amelia, who is kneeling down now. "That's really you, Rowan?"

He nods, and reaches out his scaly, taloned hand, gently curving it around her cheek. "I miss you. So much." His ears droop a bit. "I know I sound odd. Is animar mind in here, with mine." Rowan taps his the side of his head. "But my mind stronger. I get better. Much better today. Right Ed and Ar? Right Fahzer?" Rowan looks back at the group, and he's met with smiles and nods.

"With your help, he'll talk just like he did in no time," Ed reassures her, believing it fully.

Amelia smiles and lifts Rowan up; though he's a bit heavy, he's much lighter than a human male. She pulls him into a hug, and he forms his equivalent of a grin, finally glad to be home.

Roy, sure that he's rubbed away any hint of tears, speaks up. "I apologize for interrupting, but I believe we should take the discussion inside." He nods to Amelia, who understands and heads inside, still carrying Rowan.

Aware that spies lurk in every corner of this city, Ed nods and heads inside after the family, with both Mustangs bringing up the rear.

Once inside, the discussion varies. Most of it is Nina showing her daddy things and telling him things; and some of it is Amelia testing Rowan's memory. She does this in part to make sure he is in fact Rowan; but mostly to make sure that his body migration retained all of his memories. Sure enough, with each reassuring memory Rowan shares with her, she looks happier--and much more at ease. Six months she had been without her husband; she had received his lifeless body near the beginning by Fahren, requested by Rowan who at first couldn't bear to let her know he had become this. Five months after, Rowan had asked Fahren to tell Amelia that he was indeed alive and safe, although this only angered her. Fahren hadn't dared explain the whole ordeal, as he could easily be arrested for human transmutation.

Now the three looked happy as can be, but Rowan sure knew better, dim as his animal mind is.

"Ame-ria." When she looks at him from talking to Al, he speaks again. "Fahren stiw trying. Trying to make cure. You come to Mistwerr? To his town? Come be crose. Cwose. To awmost-cure." He looks up at her, his large, expressional eyes conveying hope.

Amelia looks over at Nina, who looks so happy to have her daddy home, despite his new form. She glances at the mantle, where a photo of the three rest. Rowan was a strongly-built man with short brown hair, always with a grin.

"It would be the best move," Roy chimes in. "Central isn't exactly the safest place for chimeras."

"I'm sure the only reason the military hasn't had its way with me is because I'm too useful to them still. Not to mention it would raise suspicion, since I'm such a popular figure," Ed adds in, completely unnecessarily with a bit of ego-stroking. At the stares from the others and Roy's raised brow, Ed snorts. "What? It's true. If I wasn't so well-known, some higher-up would have had me right in one of those 'abandoned' laboratories. It's just dangerous for any chimera here. Rowan can't stay here. Not without risking himself, Fahren's research, and all of Fahren's other chimeras."

Bringing them back to the reality with Ed's words, they look at Rowan, who is giving Nina a ride on his back, but not going fast--in part because he's not built for this, but also because, due to her frailty, if she fell off of him, it would require a trip to the hospital.

"Moving wouldn't be that difficult, honestly. As long as there's medical care close by for Nina when she needs it, then we can do." She smiles down at Rowan, who is now laying on the floor, looking a bit tired. After an exciting day like today, it's understandable how tired he is.

"We're gonna move to daddy's new home?" Nina asks, looking up at Amelia, who nods with a genuinely happy smile.

"That's right, Nina. We'll all be together again." Rowan lifts his head, ears perking up too. D'aww.

---

Roy had only released Fahren at the promise that Fahren would call him often and keep him updated. On anything. After Roy returned to his duties, Ed, Al, Fahren, Rowan, Amelia and Nina all travel to Mistwell, where Ed and Al create a home, not far from Fahren's, just for the three. It's tailored perfectly to them--with soft floors, rounded edges and safety generall in mind for Nina. And for Rowan; many things were made low enough that he could reach them. Ed also went to the store in town and bought a few books in varying difficulties, so Nina could read to her father, and her father could learn to read harder things; to re-train his mind so the animals aren't as prevalent. Ed and Al had then taken their leave, glad to see the family in one piece again.

While they were all happy to be a family again, Rowan and Amelia were still torn by an obvious barrier of physical humanity, and to rememdy this, Amelia asks Fahren to make her like Rowan. While Fahren would have been shocked, he had to admit to himself; he had seen this coming. Having had been working hard at his research in the month between their arrival and her request, he is able to produce for her a beautiful chimera. Female, brown eyes to match hers; avian and canine, just as Rowan's is, but with a more well-planned tail, and a beautiful set of white wings. The chimera's body was able to stand on its hind legs and walk around with only minor difficulty, as compared to Rowan's struggles just to stand; and to top it all off, Fahren had discovered how to use his knowledge of transferring the soul from one body to another to take the animal's souls and move them into a rat's body, clearing the chimera's body fully for Amelia.

The transition from human parents to animal parents wasn't hard for Nina. She was happy to have her family all together in one place, and everyone was happy in the house, and so she was. For her, it was just perfect. And she didn't have to worry about hurting her parents on accident with hugs, because if she hugged them too tightly and snapped any bones--for example, when she did to her mommy--the bones healed right away. She only wished that her own body was that strong, and then, everything would be perfect.

---

I want to add something unnecessary:

Fahren's name, if you added heit onto the end of it, would be fahrenheit, a measure of temperature; of heat. He is also a Mustang, his brother being the FLAME alchemist. I did not think about this at all when creating his name. It's purely coincidental, and I find it hilarious.

"C'mon, Ed, don't you want to visit Nina and Ruvie and Fahren?"

"Of course I do, Al, but.."

"Come on, you need to take a break from that. You'll find it eventually. You've been searching so hard lately. You're close. Just take a few days."

"Yeah, okay." Ed admits defeat, following Al through Mistwell from the train station. As they travel, he's quiet, mind wandering inward, thoughts lazily bumping around in there.

Close? Not even. He'd shown a cheerful face for Al lately, but if anything, he was even farther away from getting his brother back to normal. He would search and search, but no matter where he may look or what he'd find; it's impossible, life-threatening, a myth, anything but doable. He sighs now as he walks, watching the people around them gawk once again, though just for the sake of looking, for they knew he was no threat. They'd seen him before in their town, he's an all-right guy. Not to mention the Fullmetal Alchemist, who was well-known nowadays for being half-lizard, anyways.

Had it really been that long, though? Ed thinks back. It's been almost two years since they visited Mistwell. They kept meaning to, but every time the idea came up, Ed either had a Really Good Lead or they were being sent out on another assignment, another mission that, no matter how hard Mustang tried, got them no closer to restoring Al and himself. So far, Mustang's just shoved the two into complicated situations, honestly with the best of intentions, but each time, the two faced more danger than they were comfortable with, and the last time nearly ended up with the two dead. And so they figure they'd better take a short break to visit friends everywhere, just in case the next mission finds them not so lucky.

"Here we are, Brother," Al announces; it's the house with the long pathway off the road, near to the forest. This location was chosen so there would be few prying eyes, as well as the safety of the forest, should trouble ever approach them.

"Hm? Oh." Ed looks at the house; he spots an impressive garden near to it, as well as several chickens running around. He smiles at this; Amelia must have been working round-the-clock to keep them all cared for. He has just a moment to wonder what Rowan does for the household, in his chimeric form, before a shadow skims overtop them. Looking up as he shields his eyes from the sun, he watches a white-and-tan mix of fur and feathers land gracefully in front of them, confused as to what--or who--this is.

Amelia stands on her hind legs and bows slightly to the two. "Edward, Alphonse, it's good to see you again!"

Ed and Al both jump back in suprise, eyes wide. Al is the first to speak.

"Who--?"

"Amelia." She smiles as the look of fright on Ed's face is replaced by curiosity. "I love Rowan. It's difficult to be with someone physically when they're so different from you, though."

In understanding, both brothers nod, and Amelia jumps.

"Oh! You must come in and say hello!"

"Ruvie's home?" Al says hopefully.

"At the moment, he's at Fahren's, helping with research."

"He helps with research now?" Ed asks, curious.

"He's actually learning alchemy from Fahren. He's complained about not being big enough a help around the house." She opens the door, leading them inside. "Before he joined the military, he had trouble finding a job. It wasn't through any fault of his own, he just didn't have a wide range of skills or experience. And now, with a body so different from what he'd been born with, he wants to try bending the world to his preference. At least, that's how he said it," she says with a chuckle.

"It's an interesting way of putting it," Ed muses, rolling it over in his mind. The family had changed since they'd been gone. He wondered, at least, how much Nina had grown in two years--and what her thoughts of her chimera parents were.

"Nina!" Amelia calls, seemingly reading Ed's mind.

Ed and A both turn their attention to the hallway, where they see movement. However, they don't expect what comes walking toward them.

"..Nina? Is that you?" Al asks shakily.

Nina walks toward them, standing slightly taller than she had those two years ago. Her body was nearly human, save for the soft blanket of white fur glimmering in the sunlight. A fluffy tail danced curiously behind her, and her feet were large, strong paws, white claws extending slightly with each step. Surprisingly, her hands were mostly human; she had four flexible fingers and a working opposable thumb, though the inside of each hand was a soft, suede-like paw pad and the tips of her fingers hid retractable claws. Her face was entirely human, marred only by short white velvety fur gracing the skin. The feline ears are obvious, sticking out from under her hair, the most notable feature on her new form. They twitch now as Nina spots the two boys. "Ed! Al!" She runs over to them, swift on her feet, and leaps up to tackle Ed in a hug. Comically, Ed loses balance, the two of them tumbling backwards onto the cushioned floor.

Al laughs as Nina helps Ed up. "C'mon Brother, I thought your balance had gotten better!"

"I had my guard down! I didn't think I'd get attacked here." Though clearly miffed, Al and Nina both laugh at Ed's frustration, and all head for the kitchen for tea. However, as Amelia is pouring tea for them, she looks up at Al.

"Alphonse! I nearly forgot. Fahren would like to see you at his residence."

Al looks at Ed, who looks right back at him. He then looks at Amelia and points to himself. "..Me?"

"Yes. I'm not sure why, he didn't tell me."

"Oh.. well, all right." {Not like I can have the tea anyway.} "I'll be back later, okay Brother?"

Ed smiles and waves Al off. "I'll be over later."

---

"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Al had followed Rowan through the house and is now in the rom with the chimeras, Fahren walking toward a cage with a cover over it.

"I have a gift for you. If you'll choose to accept it." He pauses at the cage, turning back to Al. "I wasn't sure what you would prefer, but I did do research with my brother, and.." Fahren looks at the cage, then at Al again. "This is for you." He pulls the cover from the cage, and Al gasps in shock as he sees what's inside.

The human form is slightly taller than human Ed, with accurately-colored hair, slightly long, the golden brown cascading over the cream-colored skin. Brown striping, quite lighter in color but nearly identical in patterning to Ed, adorns the sitting, motionless body, across the long, reptilian tail, on both arms ending in sharp-nailed hands; and down his legs, which end in digitigrade, two-clawed feet with a third, sickle-shaped claw; all matching Ed in its entirety. The only thing missing is the brown stripe on the face, part of Fahren's artistic license. Alphonse faintly notices that the body, though seeming soulless and empty, is breathing and alive.

As Al stares, Fahren speaks. "I wasn't sure how you would like to be.. more human or like your brother. But the more I spoke with Roy, the more I knew the answer. You two are the closest of brothers. You do everything together. To make you any different from him would be an insult." Fahren smiles, looking at Al, who is moving closer to the cage.

"..How were you able to make this?" Al opens the cage door, getting a better view of the flesh raptor-Al, matching Ed better than he'd thought, right down to the strange ears.

"I'll not lie to you.. it took me quite some time to modify the body to be as close as possible to a human. Especially when combining reptilian and mammilian genes." Fahren looks at the body. "It is my greatest work, and I hope you.. I thought you might like it."

Al reaches in and lifts up the body, holding it in his arms. The head lolls slightly, the body msotly limp except for reflexes keeping it in an aware appearance. "You made this.. for me? To use?" Al asks quietly.

"As a new body. I hope you aren't offended.."

"I don't think that's possible." Al looks down at Fahren. "I don't know if there's a way to transfer my soul int--"

"I know exactly how it works," Fahren answers, startling Al. "My brother and I have both researched it, as well as consulting your.. your teacher. She was less than pleased at the application, but I think she really does condone this."

Al steps forward, voice hopeful. "Can--can we do it now?"

Fahren smiles and calls Rowan over. "Of course. Rowan, lead the way?"

Rowan nods and trots ahead of them, Fahren following with Al bringing up the rear. They're led to a room that Al hadn't seen before, with a circle on the floor that Al couldn't quite identify. All the while, though, Al is staring down at his new body with wonder. He can't believe that he may be in it again soon. It's a funny feeling, really, to be holding yourself in your own arms to the place where you'll trade bodies with soul alchemy. If he had never become an alchemist, Al would call this whole thing absolutely ludicrous.

"In the center." Fahren follows Al into the center, motioning for Al to sit in the center, Al's new body seated as well, the two back-to-back. Fahren then removes Al's helmet, shocking Al a bit, before setting it to the side. Fahren then uses a marker to draw Al's blood seal on the back of Al's flesh neck, finally gently touching both as he concentrates.

A gasp can be heard from the armor, followed by a whimper; Al finds himself now terrified, but dares not twitch for fear of Fahren accidentally rubbing away Al's seal from the armor. He remains still, but soon feels.. lightheaded and detached. How he feels lightheaded without a body is a mystery to him, but the thoughts even seem like they're coming from outside his mind. He tries to speak, but he just hears his own thoughts. None if it makes any sense.

---

Ed walks toward Fahren's place, finding it unchanged from the outside. As he looks at it now, he finds it amusing. For how large the interior of the house is, the outside of it is quite small. He pushes this from his mind as he knocks on the door, surprised when Rowan answers and beckons Ed in excitedly with his already-large eyes practically bugging. Ed blinks curiously and follows Rowan as he races through the house and down the stairs.

"Rowan, what--?" Ed continues the chase, catching up when Rowan stops outside the door of that room. From inside, Ed can hear a sudden WHAM and yelp from Al. Eyes widening in concern for his brother, he shoves open the door and leaps in, looking around. He immediately spots the heap of armor lying lifelessly in the middle of a circle, the sight enough to knock the air out of him. "..Al," he squeaks out, hesitating from pure shock before running to the pile of armor. He check's Al's seal, finds it intact, and grabs the helmet and Al's middle. "Al..? Al talk to me!" Borderline panic causes him to miss the two figures behind him, moving closer.

"Ed, I'm okay," Al says, and restrains a laugh when Ed holds up the armor head with relief. "Not there, brother. Turn around."

Ed looks at the helmet with confusion, shifting his weight to turn around--and in reflex, leaps to his feet and stumbles back, falling on his ass in his mad scramble. "What--what the hell?!"

Al laughs, putting his hands to his hips. "Brother, Fahren fixed me!" Al is now in his reptilian body, fully clothed in black shorts and a white t-shirt, courtesy of Fahren. His hair is tied back into a loose ponytail, and he wears a big smile on his face, his grey eyes sparkling with happiness.

Ed stares up at his brother, in complete disbelief. He climbs shakily to his feet, walking over to Al, taking in his brother's full form as he nears. "Al..? Al is that really you?"

"It's me, Ed. Fahren, he.. he worked really hard and he made this body.. as a gift. Ed, can you believe it? I'm fixed!"

"Al," Ed whispers softly, reaching Al, pulling him into a hug. "Al, you.." He squeezes Al, tears quickly forming and overflowing. "I haven't hugged you since we were kids," he says, his voice loaded with emotion.

Al returns the hug, glad to be able to feel his brother again, finally. "I'm so glad to have a real body again. I had forgotten how you felt, how you smelled.. I remember it all now. I missed this."

"I missed it too, Al. I'll never lose you again, I promise," Ed chokes out through tears, pulling back finally so Al can get some air and he can try to clear his head. He's so unbelievably happy that this is happening that he can't contain himself, and starts laughing, finally feeling relief after years of stress and worry about fixing his brother.

Al smiles as Ed lets loose, his tail waving lazily behind him. He focuses on his balance, realizing that Ed's adjusted fairly well to his body; these 'feet' are quite tricky to balance on. Nonetheless, he kneels down by Ed, who has plopped down onto his rear, clearly reeling in a happiness that he'd kept hidden deep down for a long, long time.

---

In case you're wondering, yes, it was intentional to make Al taller than Ed. Even though he's the younger brother, Fahren was told that Al was taller than Ed. By who? You'll see.

Ed and Al had been unsure of what to do with the armor, at first. Both were happy to be rid of it, but also nostalgic and wanting to hang onto it. So they settled for taking it home to the Rockbell residence and keeping it there, hoping Winry and Pinako wouldn't be creeped out by it.

"I'll get it," Winry calls, heading for the door. Pinako had been cooking something and Winry had only been reading at the table, so she figured she may as well answer the door. What greets her though, shocks her.

"Ed! A.. Al?" She stares at Al, who would look exactly like the Al she remembered, only with long hair and features similar to Ed. "Granny," Winry calls weakly, gripping the doorframe.

Pinako, hearing the tone of Winry's voice, hurries over--only to stare jaw-droppingly at Al's new form. "Alphonse, is-that really you?"

Al smiles cheerfully as Ed wraps his automail arm around his shoulder. "Yep, it's me! I've finally got a real body again."

"But--but how?" Winry asks, eyes still wide in confusion.

"Fahren," Ed answers. "Mustang's brother mastered his chimera-making skill enough to create a new body, just for Al."

"You look just like Ed now," Pinako comments. "He designed you to match him."

"That was probably the most thoughtful part of all," Al comments, giving a little swish of his tail behind him. "I'm glad I look just like Ed."

"You two are inseparable, no matter what the circumstances," Winry says with a small smile. "Come on in. I think Al's overdue to enjoy a full home-cooked meal."

---

"How can you expect us to run after such a filling meal, Brother?" Al asks, walking alongside Ed outside, nursing his overstuffed belly.

"You weren't supposed to eat so much, Al," Ed says with a laugh, his good mood only enhanced by the humor of watching Al getting the hang of his body.

As if on cue, Al stumbles a bit, but catches himself and stays upright. "Ed, how did you ever get used to this body? I can't figure out the balance right, and I've been in it for days already. Every time I try to use my tail for balance, I move it the wrong way and I almost fall!"

Ed laughs. "You think I didn't have the same problems? I had some time to adjust before I made it back to you in Central. Besides, Al, I've been adjusting for two years now. It's natural to me." Ed looks down at himself and nods. "I mean, I wouldn't argue to being human again, but as long as you're out of that armor, then I'm happy."

Al smiles and nods in agreement. "I am glad to have a real body again. After so many years, every little thing is just amazing. To feel the wind, the sweet smell of the flowers.. to hear water rushing and know that I can feel the coolness against my skin, let it run down my throat.. it's so amazing. And the food! Ed, we have to travel everywhere, I want to sample every kind of food there is!"

Ed laughs again. "I'm still in the military, so I'm sure Mustang won't mind sending us off somewhere. But pace yourself Al; you don't want to start gaining weight or anything."

"I hope Fahren engineered me to have a good metabolism," Al comments, then looks up when Ed taps him with his tail, before bolting off.

"C'mon Al, race ya!"

Al's eyes widen. "Wh--NO FAIR YOU CHEATED!" He takes off running after Ed, but he's nowhere near as swift with his new body as Ed is. He does find it quite easy to manage his balance when he's running so quickly; and as he begins to enjoy it, he finds that he'd never run this fast in his life, and it is a pure rush.

Ed looks back carefully, slowing down a bit, only to find Al is gaining on him, gaining speed; an eager grin on his face. Eyes widening in suprise, Ed focuses ahead of himself, and tries to kick up his speed--but instead, trips. Due to the speed he's going, he hurtles forward, thanking his quick reflexes as his arms shoot out in front of him. He lands on them, twisting his body, pushes off with his arms, and feels himself completing a full flip before landing, running so as not to lose momentum, back on his feet.

Al had watched, and stares in awe. His brother had nearly mastered that body, and he can't help but be fascinated at Ed's graceful movements. He knows what he wants to do now, despite the ache in his stomach from the overstuffing of food. Slowing down, he calls out to Ed.

Noting Al has nearly stopped, Ed plans his next move. Stopping from his high speed is tedious, and he can't turn as swiftly as he used to think he could when the body was new to him; but oh, a tree! He leaps right onto it, landing sideways, crouching down from the momentum--before leaping off, legs springing with the force of a kangaroo. He sails several car lengths, finally landing, trotting a few more steps, and stopping right by Al. He sniggers, amused at the look of awe on Al's face.

"Brother I never saw you do something like that!"

"Yeah, well, we tend to get separated during.. intense parts of assignments. You don't see everything that goes on." Ed had acquired various new scars over the course of two years, including one on the side of his tail.

"You always run off on your own, that's your fault."

"Heyyy, no fair! You know what our line of work is like!"

"You're still reckless. And you're too stubborn to ask for help until you've almost been beaten. I can help you Ed, you just have to ask."

"But.. I have to protect you, Al. I just got you back; I don't want you to get hurt again."

Al smiles. "Ed, if you put yourself in danger for me, then I'm going to be the one kicking your ass. Got it?"

Ed grin nervously. "Okay, Al."

Al looks around them; the breeze is still blowing, rippling through the tall grass of the field they're in. The countryside.. where they can be free to play just like when they were kids. "We haven't sparred in a while," Al muses, before facing Ed with a fighting position.

A quick blur of thoughts blasts through Ed's head about why Al isn't ready to spar in that new body yet, but he pushes them aside in eagerness, knowing Al wouldn't put himself at risk. After all, both of those boys are stubborn. "You're on."

Al begins, rushing toward Ed, planning to knock Ed off his feet while shoving him over. Unfortunately, he's not used to the weight and balance of this body, and comes up too slow, allowing Ed to easily dodge and return the favor. Al somehow manages to keep on his feet, instead resorting purely to hand-to-hand combat. Catching this, Ed blocks each of Al's moves, before dropping and swinging his automail leg to kick Al--who dodges it barely in time, but isn't expecting the tail, thick with muscle and bone, which slams into his face and drops him.

"NOT FAIR!" Al yells, holding a hand to the side of his face, before leaping back into the fighting with renewed vigor, doing his best to balance as he fights just as he used to. His body is new in shape to him, compared to human or armor; but the weight of actually having a body again is something he has to adjust to. Ed must be forgetting this, for Al is unable to dodge Ed's swift kick to his middle. He gasps in pain as the air is knocked out of him and Ed's claws sink into the flesh, threatening to slice through his intestines.

"AL!" Ed yanks his foot away, grabbing Al in worry to check on him. {Stupid, stupid, stupid! Of course you can't kick like that with those feet! Al's human now!}

Al puts a hand to his stomach, the blood leaking through and staining his white shirt. He pulls the shirt up, breath hitching in pain; but he soon feels a tingling, and as both brothers watch, the wound slowly seals up, closing up in less than a minute. Al tentatively rubs his hand over it, eyes wide in suprise. "That's right, brother.. Fahren specialized in regeneration."

"Thank goodness," Ed exhales, a little shaky from the incident. That he had injured Al so easily; it scared him, despite the quick healing. "I-I'm sorry, Al. I should've been more careful, I didn't even think--"

"It's okay, Ed." Al wipes away still-slick blood, finding not even a faint scar. "You're not used to sparring with someone who isn't armor. You just have to be a little more careful with your claws."

Ed nods, trying to wipe the blood from his claws in the grass. When he gets them as clean as he can, he claps his hands together, pressing them to Al's chest. Immediately, the white shirt repairs itself, the blood changing location. It looks good as new; save for 'LITTLE brother' on the chest of the shirt, written in Al's blood.

Al has to laugh at this. "You're always adding your flair to things. Thanks, Ed."

Ed takes a few steps away from the blood-spattered grass, picking a spot before flopping down onto his back to gaze up at the sky.

With a smile, Al follows Ed, laying down next to him, closing his eyes and taking in the moment. The smell of the grass.. the way it tickles his skin at every touch. The heat of the sun beating down on them; the way it makes him sleepy. He amost dozes off when he hears Ed speak.

"I'm gonna kill Mustang."

"Huh? Why?"

"Do you know why your body looks so similiar to the real you?"

"..You know, I wondered. I've been so busy with feeling and tasting and smelling things and trying to walk in this body though, that I'd forgotten about it the past few days. How did he do that?"

"Easy, Al. He asked his brother. He asked Roy about you, how he should make you. In turn, Roy came out here and asked Winry and Granny. They gave him photos and descriptions, and that's what Mustang told Fahren. Except.. Mustang added something in." Ed growls as he continues. "He told Fahren that you were always taller than me."

Al's eyes widen and he looks over at Ed, barely able to see his scowling face through the tall grass. "He said I was taller? Why?"

"Well isn't it obvious?? He's fucking evil!"

Al laughs nervously. "Ed, he's not evil.. he just wanted to play a little joke."

Ed suddenly sits up, growling. "WHO YOU CALLIN' LITTLE?!"

Al laughs out loud, shaking his head. "I didn't say that!"

Ed lays down again, grumbling to himself. "Well, you said that word. You know better."

Ignoring that comment, Al just closes his eyes, relaxing peacefully. After several minutes, he speaks again. "What do we do now?"

"Huh?" Judging by the groggy sound of his voice, Ed was clearly almost asleep himself.

"I have a body again, and I'm happy with that. Are we going to continue searching, to fix your arm and leg?"

Ed forces himself awake, mind shuffling around various thoughts. "Well.. I'd rather not stay a chimera forever. But I'm not going to search for the stone, either. I'm still in the military, remember? I can still find it, even by accident."

"..You know, Ed, you could just retire."

"I know. But.." Ed trails off, memories lancing through his mind. "Look at all the good we've done. All the people we've helped. The world is going to keep turning Al; with or without us. It's going to keep turning when we're long gone, but while we're here, I want to do what I can to help it go the right way. Sure, it's not really our problem, we could settle down, fight over Winry like when we were kids, and have our own family.. and who could blame us?" Ed reaches his automail arm up to the sky, staring at the glimmering metal. "We're all connected, and we all can make an impact. I'm going to keep doing my part to help this world, for as long as I'm able."

Ed's words run though Al's mind, and the younger brother nods. "You're right." {You usually are.} "I'm coming with you."

Instead of asking why or arguing that Al should settle down, Ed just nods, knowing Al would stay with him no matter what. "I know."

"We'll never be apart." Al reaches one hand over, and Ed grabs it with his own.

"Because we're the Elric brothers."