I'm really sorry to say this and I really hate to do it, but I simply cannot finish this story. I just don't have the drive or the interest, and writing it has become painful. It also doesn't help that in my mind, I consider this story a failure since it just won't come together (probably because I didn't think it through well enough and I've forgotten all the plot points that I wanted to include.. and it too closely follows the books which is not interesting at all). In fact, the only concrete thing in my mind was how I wanted the story to end… but I had no path to that ending and I have no drive to figure one out…

So uh.. basically what I'm trying to say is that this story will be abandoned.. which is sad for me because this was one of my first real attempts to build a whole plot (Other than Of Fairy Tale Proportions, but that's a completely different can of worms.. and conventiently turned into a one-shot). But seriously.. five chapters since it was published in '06? That's really bad…

I will be including notes and stuff of what I wanted to happen after this note.

If anyone would like to pick up this story, go right ahead! Just please message me or leave a review so that I know.

Again, I'm terribly sorry..please don't lynch me.. (maybe it would be easier if I wrote this like Icarus Walks.. OTL)

~razra

Plot points (wow, this story was so.. I don't even have a lot of plot points…)

Here is the part of chapter 6 I had managed to write after I re-worked everything out.. It has not been proof-read and it lacks completeness... I also jump like.. most of the year because there was nothing I could think to write…

Chapter 6: Refuge you built to flee (the places you have come to fear the most by Dashboard Confessionals)

"Equivalent Exchange… Like, a life for a life?" Hermione thought out loud. The three were in the common room and were frantically trying to complete some last minute assignments. It was Sunday night and they were the last people there as they had spent much of the weekend pondering what had happened during class.

She paused and the three stared at each other. "Can that even be done? With Alchemy, I mean?"

"That's twisted," Ron remarked, looking up from sneaking peeks at Hermione's paper.

"I don't think you can even do that with magic," Harry muttered, thinking back to the young Alphonse. "But, I mean, do you think he wants to bring someone back? Like, that little boy.. Al."

The three grew silent, each with thinking his/her own thoughts.

"I think we need to find out more about Professor Elric," Hermione mused, chewing on the tip of her quill. She paused. "You know, he's been spending a lot of time in the library and in the infirmary… I think we should try to find out what he's been looking up in the library."

It wasn't hard to find out Professor Elric's day-to-day schedule. First, he taught classes, and when he had any breaks, he would visit the infirmary, toting around several books and paperwork to grade. When Madam Pomfry kicked him out for the night, he would visit the library, get more books, and then sit at one of the tables alternating between doing work and grading papers until Madam Pince kicked him out. Softly scowling to himself, he would make his way to his office with a new stack of books and, most likely, do more work until he fell asleep. When he was stronger, there were rumors that he started to run early in the morning, and of the three, only Hermione was able to confirm the fact since she was the only early riser.

Food was more-or-less shoved down his throat by disgruntled house-elves who were no doubt set to the task by the Headmaster; otherwise, Harry was certain that the Professor would not eat.

How the man got through the next few months was certainly a mystery; however, the longs nights and lack of diet seemed to be affecting him as it was now a common sight to see the Professor nibbling on a sandwich or sleeping on some papers. Harry also wasn't faring well what with the trials from the Triwizard Tournament, but he was nowhere near as bad.

It was during one of these impromptu naps that Ron snatched one of the Professor's journals.

"What is this?" Ron grumbled. The three were in the corner of the common room where they were certain that they couldn't be spied upon.

"I..have no idea," Hermione muttered, deep in thought. When Ron had sauntered triumphantly into the common room with the journal, they thought that they would finally get their answers; however, when they opened the book, it was a bunch of writings about Avalon, King Arthur, Peter Pan, et cetera…

"They're all fairytales," Harry said, reading a few of the lines. "But, he can't be just.. I mean, when we looked at some of the books he borrowed, they weren't muggle books."

"Yea," Hermione agreed, brow furrowing in thought. "Well, let's think about this later. We have other things to worry about.

"Harry? Are you ready for the final challenge? Let's practice some of the other spells we were looking at."

Al vaguely watched the proceedings as the quidditch field became packed. He couldn't say that he really understood the need to put the children in danger, but it's not like they would listen to him; he wasn't even a wizard.

He also probably wasn't paying as much attention as he should have been since one of his journals had gone missing. At least it was all coded, but still… He couldn't find it anywhere.

Anyway, so the random stuff about Avalon, et cetera, were excerpts from Al's journal. He used fairy tales to code his journal.

Avalon - Wherever Ed's mind went

Fountain of Youth - the way to get back

King Arthur - Ed

Morgan le Fey- Homunculus and others

Peter Pan - wishes, hope

Neverland - The time before trying to bring back mother, happiness

Humpty-Dumpty - Al

Or something of the like.. the meaning of several of these changed several times over the years because I kept forgetting and couldn't find the original paper where I had it all written..

Al's soul is no longer properly attached to his body - reason why he became a ghost momentarily

Could have been when he was teaching the students, the attack jarred his soul

Helping Neville also didn't help (This was meant to be explained earlier, but it slipped my mind).

Chapter 6 - The gang becomes suspicious of Al, but don't do anything about it. They get distracted by the tournament and kinda forget about him

Then the race to the cup. Ed becomes pride - Harry sees when he gets back. Ed kills someone, then gets away.

Later, Harry goes to talk to Al about it and gets heartfelt convo about how people can't be brought back, yadda yadda..

End - Ed becomes Pride and gets away. Al has decided that to atone for his sins, he must kill Ed/Pride; however, he has little time as his soul is continuing to separate from his body.

"They say that homunculus have no memories, but I think I'm starting to remember. You were once important to me, weren't you? And I didn't want to lose you.. So, you have to do this. Before I'm not -me- anymore, you have to use my stone and re-fix your soul... Al."

There was going to be a follow-up story.. which then became a one-shot. I might still write it, though I just gave away all spoilers haha

…again, I'm really sorry to be a disappointment, but I simply cannot work on this story anymore. It's such a big disaster…

And like I mentioned earlier, if anyone would like to pick up this story and save it, go right ahead! Please just message me or leave a review~

Before I shut up, I would like to extend a personal apology to AkitoFallow... I must be a terrible person to beta for and I'm sorry that I suddenly stopped sending chapters/et cetera. Please pardon me for my stupidity.

Again, really sorry to everyone... maybe one day, I will completely re-vamp this story...

~razra