*rrrrring... rrrrring...*

Colonel Mustang picked up the phone.

"Hello?" he said.

"Colonel Mustang?" the receptionist said. "You have a call pending on line 1."

"Oh, right," said Mustang, who already had a pretty good idea who it was. "Thank you. Put them through."

He waited for the lines to connect.

"Hey, Roy-ma-boy, how're things out in the East?"

'How did I guess?' thought the alchemist.

"The same as always, Hughes," he reported nonetheless. "The sun still rises, the grass still grows, and people still call me on military lines when they most likely still have work to do."

His subordinates smiled to themselves. These calls always led to entertainment, usually at the Colonel's expense.

"What are you talking about?" Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes casually asked. "I almost always call you when I'm working!"

"Cut to the chase, Hughes," said Mustang. "Is this about your daughter again? Because if it is-"

"Actually, it's about something a little different this time."

Mustang was, despite himself, genuinely surprised. These calls were almost always about Elicia Hughes' latest adorable exploits.

"I'm calling to check up on a certain disappearing teenager," said Hughes, now more serious than he had been before. "It's been about two days since he came back, after all. How is he doing?"

The Flame Alchemist sighed. He'd hoped to not have to think about this anymore.

"Although somewhat delusional, and aside from slight exhaustion and a few first-degree burns, the Fullmetal Alchemist was and still is in peak physical condition," he explained. "Don't ask me why or how, because I know just as much about this whole affair as you do. In any case, since there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him, I've sent him to investigate some strange goings-on in Liore, north of here."

"Wow," Hughes responded. "Has anyone ever told you that for somebody called the Flame Alchemist, you can be pretty damn cold sometimes?"

"It's not like I'm asking him to save the world or something," Mustang objected. "It's just a basic investigation, and anyway, we've had reports of disturbances and bizarre events in that town for months now. Besides, he's perfectly healthy, so I didn't see any point in confining him any longer than was necessary. If Liore's anything like I've heard, it should be a walk in the park."

"But is he still insisting that he was transported to another world?"

Mustang paused.

"And more importantly," Hughes continued, "do you think we should believe him?"

The Colonel pinched his brow. He'd hoped he wouldn't have to deal with this anymore.

"Honestly, I don't know what to believe," he confessed. "Major Elric was missing for over a week and he reappeared - he literally rematerialized - right in front of me. With his condition, it was pretty clear he hadn't just been stuck in some empty void for all that time, but I'm not sure whether he could have been in a sort of stasis or if he really was somehow transported to another world. Personally, I'm just glad he's alright. I wasn't looking forward to attending a funeral."

"Then you might be interested to hear that the lab boys finished analysing that stone he came back with."

"And?"

"And," said Hughes, "whatever it is, it's not of Amestrian origin. Not in the slightest."

Mustang wasn't sure what to think.

Surely it couldn't be true. A parallel dimension filled with motor-powered bicycles that could fly and magical crystals? The concept was preposterous!

But then again, he would have had to have gone somewhere...

"So what?" he said. "You think he's telling the truth?"

"How am I supposed to know?" asked Hughes. "You're the guy who found him, aren't you? And he's just a kid, they tend to get themselves into trouble every now and again. You just gotta learn to go with it. Speaking of which..."

'Oh no, here we go,' the Colonel thought.

"My sweet little daughter Elicia brought a kitten home the other day!" Hughes declared joyfully. "She said it followed her and it was too adorable to leave all by itself! We had to give it up but I managed to get a picture of her cuddling it and it's the cutest thing I've ever seen in my entire life! She's going to be such a darling when she gets older, I just know it!"

Mustang sighed. This was going to be a long day.

"...and then the next thing I knew, Colonel Jackass was shouting at me to wake up."

"You shouldn't call him that, Brother. He only acts that way because he's concerned for you."

"Oh yeah?" Edward asked as he transmuted the bolt of red cloth he had just bought into a new coat. "Well, if he cares so much, how come he's shoving me off his doorstep already?"

"Um..."

"And if he was really worrying like you say he was, how come he didn't believe me when I tried to tell him where I'd gone and what had happened to me?"

"To be honest, Brother, I don't think he cared."

"Ha!" Ed cried triumphantly as he donned the coat. "So you admit-"

"And to tell the truth, I don't care either."

"Huh?" Ed was shocked. "Al, what're you talking about? Didn't you miss me?"

"Of course I did!" shouted Alphonse, who would probably have been crying if he had eyes to do so. "I was so worried! I was afraid- I was terrified at the thought that I was never going to see you again!"

"Alphonse..." muttered Ed.

"What I mean," said Alphonse, clenching his leather fists, "is that I don't care what happened to you wherever you were, and I don't care who it was that kept you safe. I'm just glad they did. Brother..."

The suit of armour reached forward and pulled the shorter alchemist into a tight embrace.

"Brother," he repeated, "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Ed returned the hug as best he could.

"Me too, Al," he said. "I know I'm trying not to show it, but I really am glad to be back. You'd never believe how much I missed you."

Somewhere in the city, a bell began to toll the hour.

"Shit!" Ed swore as his brother set him down. "It's eleven already?!"

"The train leaves for Liore in five minutes!" shouted the equally alarmed Alphonse. "Come on, we have to hurry!"

"What's going on in that place, anyway?" yelled the frustrated Ed as they started running.

"I don't know!" Alphonse replied. "Something about a miracle priest with his own religion!"

"Oh, really?" Ed was close to laughing. "In that case, I bet somebody there is gonna believe me!"

Aerrow didn't want to wake up.

He could tell he was lying down, a sheet covering a majority of his body, but he didn't want to be feeling that. He didn't want this.

He didn't want the throbbing pain in his left shoulder. Because he knew what it was, why he felt it. He knew what was missing.

Maybe he could ignore it if he tried. Maybe it would go away, and maybe he could sleep in peace...

"Isn't this what you were curious about?"

He almost choked as he reawakened, blinking cold sweat out of his eyes, and he had never been so relieved to see his ceiling in his whole life. He wasn't before the Gate of Truth and he wasn't inside it. He was in his own room on the Condor.

His gaze wandered to the side and he saw, hanging in the corner, the bright red coat that had once belonged to one of the most powerful, feisty and yet compassionate people he had ever met, and he smiled.

But then he remembered.

He sat up, struggling a little from pain and exhaustion, and looked down at the blank, empty, blood-stained bandage covered space where there should have been a left arm. It didn't hurt any more when he touched it, just kept the same constant dull ache.

If anything, that was worse. Like a reminder that there was nothing he could do.

And yet he swore he could still feel his fingers, like maybe if he tried he could still clench his fist, like his body hadn't quite realised there wasn't a fist to clench anymore...

His breath caught in his throat as he forced his right hand away from the empty stump and lay back down as his head started to hurt.

It was too much.

Why should such a stupid accident lead to such an outcome? It wasn't like he'd wanted to get caught up in the transmutation. If it wasn't for that cat... and hadn't he stressed it enough? That Truth thing, hadn't it heard him? He didn't have any reason to enter the Gate in the first place. He wasn't actively taking part in transmutation, human or otherwise. He wasn't even an alchemist!

He wasn't.

Right?

Even if he was, there was no way he'd be able to do Ed's clapping alchemy now. Or anything else, for that matter. No more fighting, no more flying, no more Lightning Claw; he'd be lucky if he could ever set foot outside the Condor again.

How could this have happened?

He could still feel his breath trapping itself in his throat, heat rising to his face and-

No.

No, he was a Sky Knight and one of the most respected people in Atmos. He wasn't going to cry. He wasn't going to let himself break down, not now! Not like this!

He wasn't.

He couldn't...

...he...

...dammit...

"Two days," Piper sighed. "Hard to believe it's been this long already."

"Yes, indeed," Stork said from his position at the helm. "Feels like only yesterday that not only did a despicable little pest disappear from our lives, but our Sky Knight and leader nearly lost his life right in front of our eyes. Shall I get the champagne?"

"Please don't talk like that," said Junko. "I still can't get those images out of my head."

"So much blood..." Finn muttered. He didn't seem to have slept since that fateful day and his eyes were practically bulging out of his skull.

Curled up on the table as he had been for almost two days, Radarr's ears suddenly pricked. He looked at the door that led off the bridge, then sprang up and scampered away. Nobody else really noticed, or if they did they didn't show it.

"Come on, guys," said Piper, "We need to stay focused. We can't let Aerrow's injury get us down-"

"Injury?!" Stork suddenly seemed enraged as he looked back at his squad mates. "You think that was just an injury? Piper, this isn't like a paper cut or a skinned knee. Aerrow lost his Entire. ARM. And he'll be extremely fortunate if he doesn't contract gangrene!"

"Please stop," Junko said weakly.

"Do you think I didn't notice that, Stork?" asked Piper, anger increasing. "Did you think I didn't see? Perhaps if it was you who had to cauterise the wound and listen to him screaming in agony, you'd think differently! Or would you actually like to try it for yourself?!"

"Just SHUT UP!" Junko shouted as he leapt to his feet. "Why are you shouting and arguing?! Just stop it! We don't NEED this!"

Piper and Stork fell silent. Poor Junko looked as if he were about to start crying, which wouldn't be surprising considering the circumstances.

"You're right," said the resigned Piper. "I'm sorry. But I... sorry."

"Me too," said Stork, and he turned back to the helm. "I must admit that the notion of doom, destruction and death is an enticing one in theory, but in practice..."

He trailed off. He didn't need to finish.

"That stupid girly-haired runt."

All eyes fell upon Finn.

"It's all his fault this happened," he said. "Can't believe I actually started to trust him. If he'd just stuck to his own business, none of this would have happened."

He looked up.

"Kept going on about equal trade, didn't he?" he said. "But you all saw what happened. You know that was an accident. And he still lost his arm, right? Well I'm sorry, but that doesn't seem very equal to me."

For a moment it seemed as though he had something else to add, but the door hissed open before he could continue and a familiar voice spoke up:

"It should."

They looked up.

Their leader was standing in the doorway leaning heavily against the frame, clutching a red coat around his shoulders that probably wouldn't have fitted if he had both arms to hold it there. He fell to his knees with a grimace of pain.

"Aerrow!" they cried, and all ran to his side.

"Are you okay?" asked Piper. "You've been out for two days, you must be... have you been crying?"

Radarr, who was perched on Aerrow's shoulder, shot her a rather sour look before turning to the wounded Sky Knight with an expression of concern.

"Trust me, Finn," said Aerrow, struggling to stay upright. "If it had been you... if you'd seen what I did, you'd... you'd be glad it was just your arm. And I'm... I'm just amazed that I'm still alive..."

He winced, tightly gripping the stump where his arm had been, and was summarily pulled over to the nearest couch. He only barely managed to keep his grip on the coat.

"Ed wasn't kidding," he said. "That place... I felt like my head was gonna explode..."

"Don't you worry about a thing," said Finn, clenching a fist. "The next time I see that obnoxious little assbutt, I'll whack him so hard in the face his grandkids will lose their teeth!"

"No, don't blame him," said Aerrow. "Just 'coz he was the one doing the transmutation, that doesn't mean it was his fault-"

"You're right," said a dejected Junko. "It's all my fault, I'm so sorry! I know I was supposed to get rid of all of them, but I just figured- just if I only kept one, nobody would notice and I could keep it to myself and-"

"Junko, it's okay," Aerrow said calmly. "I don't blame you. If anything, it's my fault for standing too close. So don't beat yourself up about it, okay?"

Junko didn't look any happier, but he did manage a small smile.

"I guess I'll be the one to say it," said Piper. "What're we gonna do now? Would you still be able to fight with only one arm?"

"While it is possible, I definitely wouldn't recommend it," said Stork. "For one, his risk of losing his grip on his handlebars and plunging to a fiery doom in the Wastelands has doubled, and there's also the fact that he'll be exponentially weakened if he's only able to hold onto one of his knives, so-"

"So I've been thinking," Aerrow interjected. "And to answer your question, Piper, yes. Yeah, I was crying. 'Coz it was kind of a shock to wake up and find my whole arm gone, you know? But when I got a chance to calm down, I started thinking and, well..."

He looked up.

"Stork, how many notes did you take on Ed's arm and leg?" he asked.

Silence fell once again.

Then it began to sink in.

"Are you seriously implying what I think you are?" Piper asked, obviously alarmed. "Don't you remember what he said a-about surgery and-"

"-And the possibilities of infection-" said Stork.

"-three year recovery period!" Junko cried.

"And you don't even know if it'll work!" Finn pointed out. "Where would we even get the right stuff?"

"Scraps?" Aerrow suggested. "Strip and melt down some machinery we don't use anymore? It shouldn't be too hard to find some wires, right?"

With perhaps the flattest expression ever, Radarr twirled a finger next to his head while making whistling noises.

"I'm not crazy!" Aerrow objected. "Guys, I know what I'm talking about and I know... I know it's pretty big. But the last thing I want is to let myself become an invalid. If that half-pint can recover in only one year, then so can I."

He smiled, and for that moment, his brilliant green eyes once again sparkled with undying determination.

He was going to recover. And he knew it.

Fuery fiddled with the radio's tuning knob, and as he did so, music began to resonate through the office.

"Sorry," he said. "Must've hit a commercial station."

"Well, can you turn it off?" asked Breda. "I can't stand this song!"

"No, leave it on!" Havoc protested. "This is one of my favourites!"

"Only because it reminds you of one of your ex-girlfriends," Falman pointed out. "Which one is it, Sandra? Lynn? Jessica? Vera?"

"Colonel," said Hawkeye in the hopes of resolving the matter with her superior's input, "what do you think?"

With a final frustrated grunt, Mustang placed the receiver down.

"Leave it on," he said. "God knows I could use a little sweet music right now. But tune it out once this one's done."

Havoc punched the air in triumph while Breda and Falman groaned in annoyance.

Mustang sat back and gazed out the window.

We'll meet again

Don't know where, don't know when

But I know we'll meet again some sunny day

Some distance away, in one of many carriages being pulled across a railway bridge, the Fullmetal Alchemist sat next to his younger brother, leaning against the wall with his forehead touching the window and staring out at the scenery beyond.

Keep smiling through

Just like you always do

Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away

In another world, too far away to measure, the leader of the Storm Hawks sat on the bridge, clutching a deep red coat around his shoulders, leaning against the window with his forehead touching the cold glass and smiling faintly as he watched the clouds pass by.

So will you please say hello

To the folks that I know

Tell them I won't be long

They'll be happy to know that as you saw me go

I was singing this song

Although neither could know, they were both thinking of the experiences they had shared, of when two great heroes had touched the sky. They had risked their lives for one another despite barely knowing each other, and through this a friendship had been forged that spanned across the universe and beyond.

They had fought together. It had been undeniably awesome.

And they knew, however unlikely it may be, that it was bound to happen again sometime in the future.

We'll meet again

Don't know where, don't know when

But I know we'll meet again some sunny day.

Obvious sequel hook is obvious, I know.

I'm seriously having trouble believing just how long it took me to get this story finished. Maybe school had something to do with it, maybe it was writer's block, maybe it was discovering shows and things I've never seen before like Attack on Titan and Sailor Moon and Slugterra or maybe it was because I got swept up in nostalgia with things like Dragon Booster. Either way, you don't have any idea how relieved I am to have finally gotten this all finished.

Thank you for sticking this out with me. You wouldn't believe how grateful I am to all the people who took time to read this thing.

As always, reviews are most, most welcome.

PS: You know what I said about Ed and Stork being fun to write? Hughes trumps them. Hughes is the most enjoyable of them all. Hughes is fantastic and every single person in the world should love him, and hopefully every single person in the world eventually will.