A/N: What's that? That's the sound of the last chapter! So soon? Wow, pretty crazy. I adore this fic and these characters so its always sad to finish one. But there will of course be more fics.

In the mean time, I hope you enjoy this final chapter! And REVIEW!

Epilogue

Death was peaceful. Once you got past the dying part at least. The act of dying was messy and heartbreaking. Painful in more ways than one. But once I faded away, I fell into a trance of sorts, floating on the air with a calmness I never knew in life. Was I lying down? Standing? How long had I been here? A day or a year? I wasn't even sure. Time and direction had lost their meaning.

Then the gate appeared to interrupt my daze.

Because the gate hates me.

"Well, well you are fun to watch aren't you?" A familiar, creepy voice said. It seemed to be grinning at me.

"I'm so glad to entertain" I muttered. My sarcasm was still going strong in the afterlife. "Oh wait, no I'm not. I've kind of wanted to punch you ever since you started stalking my dreams, spouting philosophical crap. Whoever the hell you are..."

"I am Truth," the voice said, unperturbed by my anger. "And you can't punch me. I do not have a physical form." He snickered. "Besides, said philosophical crap ended up helping you in a sense. A life for a life, remember?"

"Yeah." I sighed. "I gave up my life so that my friend could live."

"Correct," Truth replied. "You know, you're little speech about equivalence was quite interesting."

"Do you see everything I do?" I asked irritably.

"I'm all knowing. Of course I do. I see everything and know everything," the voice sounded quite proud of itself.

"Really… so, all knowing one, what do you mean by interesting?" I asked tentatively. "Laughably incorrect or surprisingly right?"

"The second." Truth replied and pride swelled in my chest. At least I died with a correct philosophy. That was some consolation. "Equivalence does exist in one form of another... it can be passed through people as well, like your sacrifice to save the Elric boy. What did you gain?"

"He lived." I answered. "That's all I wanted."

"Exactly."

"My head still hurts."

The voice sighed. "I don't pretend that you humans are truly capable of understanding but you're closer to it than that egotistical hag."

Huh. So Truth holds grudges. "You don't like Dante, do you?"

"She has been avoiding equivalent exchange for years. Her soul gets slowly weaker but only when she dies will she pay in full." Truth seemed exceptionally eager for this day to come.

"Couldn't you just... zap her?" I asked bluntly.

"I cannot control the fate of humans. I can only place thoughts and ideas in their mind. Give them a little push." Truth sighed.

"Like with my nightmares."

"Exactly. After all, it isn't equivalent exchange unless the exchange is made out of a person's own free will. It is the law of the world."

"Wow," I said. "Didn't expect to get a philosophy lesson in the afterlife. But I guess death can be enlightening."

"Ah yes. The afterlife." Truth sounded suspiciously like it was grinning again. "That's the other thing little human. Someone has vouched for you."

"Uh... what?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Equivalence is not always evident at first," Truth said, which didn't exactly answer my question. "But you'll have plenty of time to figure that out. For now, I'll see you later." The gate began to open. "But I think I'll be seeing you again. I still have use for you, little human."

I opened my mouth to ask what he meant. But before I could, the black tendrils snaked from the gate and pulled me in. Just like in my dream. And just like in my dream, a voice called out to me.

"LIZ!"

Before, I never could identify the voice. But now it echoed so crystal clear in my ears. Envy. The voice belonged to Envy.

Maybe it always had.

"Is she okay?"

"Maybe a heat stroke?"

"Get some cold towels."

"Miss? Can you hear us?"

With a groan I opened my eyes and found myself staring up at about a dozen worried faces, none of which I recognized.

"She's awake!" One man announced.

"Where am I?" I coughed out. The words scraped against my dry throat.

"You're in Germany of course," another man answered. "Berlin!"

Berlin? Germany? I didn't know either of those places. Where was I?

"Just tell us where you live," a woman said. "We'll get you home."

"I… Well I'm…" A few options presented themselves to me. I could tell them the truth. If I wanted to be locked in a nut house. I had no idea where this place was or how they would respond to my story. So instead I went with a second option. Fake amnesia for sympathy. "I don't remember... I can't remember anything."

"Oh, you poor dear," the woman gasped.

"Stand aside, coming through." I heard a voice I never thought I'd hear again in the crowd. "Police coming through."

I gaped at the familiar man standing in front of me, same beard, glasses and all. It was Maes Hughes.

"So you can't remember anything?" Hughes knelt down beside me. "Nothing at all."

I remember the night you got shot, I thought. Was this a city for dead people or something?

"Gracia! We need somewhere this girl can stay," Hughes called.

Huh, that ruled out that option.

"I have some extra room at the inn." The familiar woman stepped to the front of the crowd, smiling warmly at me. "You can stay there."

"I don't have any money," I mumbled.

"That's fine, you can work for it," Gracia assured me. "Can you stand?"

"Uh yeah I think—" I started to get up but a sudden, sharp pain shot through my abdomen just above my stomach, forcing me to my knees. Fists clenched I gritted my teeth as shudders ripped through my body. The crowd began to press in around me again, muttering amongst themselves, but I couldn't concentrate on any of their words. My vision swam and after a few more moments of agony, everything went dark.

When I woke I was laying on a bed in a small room. Gracia was dabbing a wet towel on my forehead. When she saw I was awake she smiled. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I... yeah." I nodded. "The pain is gone."

"That's a nasty scar you've got there," she remarked. "I saw it when I was dressing you in clean clothes. What happened?"

My hand gingerly moved to touch my torso and I felt what she meant. It was a huge scar, extending at least seven centimeters across. I knew in my heart where it came from, but I wasn't about to tell other Gracia the truth.

"Bad accident." I smiled weakly. "Nearly died."

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "Here. You had this on your belt." She handed me a familiar state pocket watch and my two knives. How they had come with me, I had no idea.

"Trinkets of yours?" she asked cautiously.

"Old... gifts," I muttered. "Sorry, that's all I can remember... with this weird amnesia thing and all."

"Of course" Gracia nodded pensively. "If you need anything just let me know."

"Right." I nodded. A thought occurred to me as she began to leave. "Ms. Gracia? What's the date?"

"Friday," she recalled. "October thirteenth."

In spite of myself, I started to laugh and she looked at me oddly.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing." I grinned bitterly. "I'm fine. Just fine."

"Alright, if you say so." Gracia studied me for another moment before slipping out of the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

When her footsteps had faded, I looked out the window. A soft song slipped from my mouth and my breath fogged the glass.

"Happy birthday to me,

Happy birthday to me,

Stuck in another dimension

Happy birthday to me."

So…

What now?

A/N: And thus the rewrite ends! Over a year later :) I hope you guys enjoyed it and find it an improvement over the last version (God I hope so). Soon to come, I will be rewriting the sequel, Ashes, as well. Don't know how many changes will happen there but I'm gonna see where it takes me.

I'm also going to try to keep updating my other fics but we'll see if I can get inspired.

Don't forget to preorder my original book, HOUR OF MISCHIEF, on Amazon! The link was in the last chapter.

Thanks again for all of the reviews and support, you lovely people :)