Hey guys! This is the last chapter. For those not paying attention, this means that the sequel is POSTED.

Four years ago today, I wrote a random-ass chapter of FullMetal Alchemist on the FF Text Editor, and Riley Mauler was born. I could get extra-cheesy on you guys, but I think I'll wait until the last chapter of the sequel. Don't want to get too sad just yet.

And just because it makes me feel better, I'm going to complain about my cosplay sister (that being TheLittleCreationist here on FanFiction) who is currently asleep in her bed behind me, taking up the entire space and leaving me to slave over her Dragon Age II cosplay and sleep on the cold hardwood floor in freezing weather while I'm also trying to work on this story so I could get it all posted today. On my period. With stomach cramps and hot flashes.

And yes, I just mentioned my period and stomach cramps on . But that isn't the point. The point is her. Go, tell her she's a horrible person for mistreating me. I'll love you more. I guess the fact I painted a black wonky cross on her forehead is payback, but I'm not totally satisfied yet. So go ahead. Bug her.

The Lovely Daaaarlings!

Mercedes Wolfcry: Thank you! And ahaha, I love making my readers cry. And laugh, and angry, and… Well, you get the point.

Mizunou: I don't usually like them either, but I honestly could see Ed getting all speechy, as he tends to do. And I definitely agree – that's one reason I kind of want to do third person. I've gotten very familiar with it the past few weeks.

IceFire Dragon Alchemist73: She does in her own way, doesn't she? Haha, you didn't really slap yourself, did you? XD

Gummy'Fish'Lover: Ahahaha! Squeal your pretty little head off, cause here's the new chapter (and the new chapter for the sequel, so squeal for that too!)

KarmaHope: It wasn't cause of my sucky updating times, was it? I always hate it when a writer I'm following takes so long, I forget. I try not to do that, but sometimes time gets ahead of me. Thank you, though! I'm glad you like it, especially how I portrayed her. That's something I kinda worried about.

Katsekala: I love making people cry, as bitchy that sounds. xD Yes, swoon! I actually thought of that line before I even started writing that chapter, and I couldn't resist putting it in there. I swooned a little myself. And thanks for the suggestion! As you can see, this chapter title is in English, but I used Greek for the first chapter of the sequel.

MayuhMaulens: Following from the start? Aasdfghjkl- I just loved you a little. Onto the chapter!

Tazdevil: I was wondering if people would realize it. The 'I love you's were kinda spontaneous with Riley, and Ed… Well, as I've said before, he's Ed.

GrowAtree: Haha, no, I'm alive, thankfully! I did a mixture of first and third, really, so I hope it goes over well.

TwinFalco: Thank you! I was really stressing over that goodbye scene, to be honest. It was so cliché to me, but I couldn't think of anything that fit them more. I did consider leaving their feelings unfulfilled (as a writer, I personally get a bit of entertainment out of that,) but I decided against it. Not sure why, but I did. Maybe I just wanted to give them a little positivity. x'D

hikaru1012: Thank you! I'm glad you like it!

YumiXjaganshi: I'm really sad about it too. There are a lot of good memories with this story, but it'll kind of be nice to see the status change to "Complete." And LAWL, finally! Only forty-nine chapters! God, you guys are patient. Haha, I wonder how long ago Chapter Twenty was? I don't remember anymore.

Ausumist: Sorry about that! Life took me and ran with me. The ending is very final, as I was hoping. I wanted them both to 'know' they would never see each other again, regardless of what I and the audience knows. Ah, dramatic irony.

AnimeVamp1997: Haha, really, please don't panic! It's all good (bro.) Yes, it's my fault! I take full responsibility. Gladly. I really liked your explanations into third and first person; those are exactly my thoughts. TSA has always been first person, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to change that.

XpAiNtONthEwaLLSx: I did, indeed! xD I'm glad you like Riley (and as mean as it sounds, that you cried too. Hehe.)

Midna Twilight Princess ROCKS: Oh, it happened alright. (Evil Cackle here.) And yes, the sequel is up!

Want to Be a Lovely Daaaarling? Review! Bwahaha...

Alright, I just wanted to make a quick shout-out to Shiinku, AnimeFanGirl167, Ausumist, IceFire DragonAlchemist73, katsekala, yumiXjaganshi, and TallerThanThou ShorterThanThou! These guys seemed to have stuck around for so long – asdfghkl. I love all you guys and can remember almost every one of you, but this group in particular has been here for a long time and every time I see their review pop up in my email, I get a little warm, fuzzy feeling inside. (I know I forgot some people (lulul, "I remember almost every one of you") who I will remember as soon as I post this… Lesigh.)

And, for the last time on this story, I do not own FullMetal Alchemist. I own Riley and any other content/characters/storyline that is not official – it's mine and I lay claim to it.

Chapter Fifty:
The End.

"Pervert."

Eyes widened, Ed jerked back to a straight position in his chair. "I didn't mean it like that! You're the one that's inappropriate!"

Instantly, I replied with, "Says the one who walks around the house in his boxers at midnight."

Ed blushed madly as he stared over at me nervously. "You… You saw me?" He stuttered out.

Smirking slyly, I nodded with closed eyes. "Kind of hard not to when my room's right next to the stairs. Nice ass by the way."

"And how is she?"

"She'll be fine, with plenty rest and medication. I wish I could say the same for her mental state."

"Mental state?"

"Look at her, Ma'am. Look at her, and you'll understand." I would have scowled, if I had the energy. Glancing to the two from the side of my eye, I kept quiet. Hawkeye stood there with the doctor, trying to pay attention. All she cared about was making sure I was alive, and then going back to Mustang's room. I didn't blame her, but damn it, how I wanted to wring her neck at the time. Mustang was still alive. She had what she wanted. I didn't care how petty I sounded – Ed was gone. That's what I cared about.

Hawkeye nodded to the doctor before looking back to me and Rose, who sat in the bed beside me. She nodded to us, saluting to me, but I only stared. Her movements faltered, and she gave a sad smile before leaving the room. I wanted to see Mustang, but I knew he was in no condition for it. The doctor gave us one last look before leaving.

"You alright?" Ed asked me as we walked back to the Rockbell's house.

I stopped walking, looking over at him with a sigh. "You know me well." Turning the sunset, I continued, "I just I can't believe my father."

Ed paused before nodding and walking back to me. He placed a hand on my shoulder, albeit it awkward. "He did his best…," He murmured out.

Nodding, I said, "I guess. But still… He didn't choke on a tooth fragment? That's impossible!"

Silence.

The Elric's brow twitched a bit. I rose a brow. "What?"

"I was talking about your hands!" Ed shouted angrily, glaring at me as if I had stolen his shoes and cut off the antenna(I refused to call it anything else) on his head that made him taller.

I twitched now, "What? Why would I be angry about that? That's the nicest thing anyone's done for me." I smacked him on the head as I whined, "You don't know me at all!"

Slipping off my hospital bed, I stood once I felt the floor beneath my socked feet. I began to put on the clean set of clothes Hawkeye brought me, and I felt Rose's gaze turn onto me. "What are you doing?" She asked, her voice soft and concerned. I said nothing as I slipped my feet into shoes and headed for the door. I had just got my hand on it, when I heard her again. "Y-You're leaving? You can't yet! The hospital hasn't released us!"

I stopped before I pulled the door open. But I refused to turn to her. "Rose, correct?" I murmured with a bland tone, uncaring of how I sounded.

Rose, who had sat up straighter, blinked in confusion. "Y-Yes?" She asked, brows furrowing.

"…We don't know each other, but I have a favor I have to ask of you," I whispered before finally looking over my shoulder at her.

She paused, unsure about what I would tell her. With a small sigh, she frowned, "W-What is it?"

After a moment of silence, I looked back to the door. "…Soon, you'll probably meet a girl named Winry Rockbell. I'd like you to deliver a message to her for me," My hand clenched around the knob, shaking, "Tell her I'm sorry. If I… If we, all tried a little harder, things maybe wouldn't have turned out like this." I glanced to Rose, who watched me with wide eyes. Frowning, I sighed, "Tell her she was right about me from the beginning."

"I'm just protecting him… I don't trust you, alright? Just because he trusts you doesn't mean I should! How am I supposed to react? He just comes back one day bringing two girls I don't even know with him! You don't deserve to know anything about him…"

I walked down the hospital halls quietly, eyes turned downward. Nurses watched me in concern, but I ignored them all. I didn't care about any of them. They were okay. They had what they wanted. Ed was gone – that was all I cared about. Running into someone, I stepped back and looked up to apologize, but I froze.

Al smiled at me, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh, sorry! I wasn't paying attention."

And neither was I, as I stared at his face. Hawkeye must have sent officers down to get him, but… He was so… So much like Ed and his father, it was scary. His face still looked as young as he was, his ashy blond hair short, and his eyes big. But the look on his face…

He didn't remember me.

So… I lost both Edward and Alphonse?

"Ma'am? Are you alright?"

Shaking my head as I was pulled back into reality, I gazed over at him a few more moments before trying to speak. It only came out as a whisper. "…Sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going…"

He frowned a little, brows furrowing as he looked at me with worry, just as the nurses had done. "N-No problem," He replied, nodding as he watched me walk by. I would have stayed longer, but it was all getting too hard. The memories, the pain, Al; I couldn't handle any of it anymore. I wanted to run, to get out of there and go wherever I could. The life I knew was over. What are you supposed to do when it ends?

Ed and I dodged Sloth's attack, getting further apart from one another. Looking over to him, I shouted it out. "I love you!"

Sliding down against the wall of the hospital alley, my head fell into my hands as I finally let out the sobs that threatened to burst. Was it… My fault? My fault it ended like this? It felt like it. This wouldn't have happened to them if I had just… Disappeared. I didn't think about what could happen to them, did I? No, I was too concerned about my own wants. Mine. Just mine. And for that, they payed the price.

I should have disappeared. Then maybe they'd… Maybe he… Would still be here. From the very beginning, I slowed them down. If not for me, he could have been so many steps ahead. How could I have been so stupid to think I could do anything?

No… I did know. I knew I was worthless. I knew he was probably better off without me. I knew all these things – I just didn't care. I was too selfish to give a damn about any of that. I loved him. That was the only thing I cared about. Without him, I… I needed him. It wasn't the other way around; it never was. Since day one, it was me who needed something. He was fine on his own. Not me.

I was head over heels for Edward Elric. And for that, they payed the price.

In Loving Memory of Mr. Guy
5.9.09

Fin.