After years of absence, I have returned! Seeing how passionately you still received Pride of Hogwarts was one of the reasons I have come back. The reason I stopped writting Pride of Hogwarts was because I needed to grow as a writer, hone my writing skills. My training lasted for more than a year and I belive with my newfound knowledge I can eradicate the abomonation of my past and transform it into something far much better.

I logged in last week and saw that my Private Messaging had one message on it. Loner Kid had sent me a message, asking when will I update the fic. Thanks Loner Kid for giving encouragement to ignite the already stacked pyre I have been constructing for a while now.

The story is reworked and changed beyond what you remember, and I believe it's for the better. A slow and interesting start is far better than the 'in your face' approach. Though it still has some qualities of it.

As always! R&R and enjoy the new rendition of Pride of Hogwarts.

Pride of Hogwarts

Chapter 1

Ground Zero

It was sundown when Edward was finally released from his duties by Colonel Bastard. Ed averted his eyes from the tall imposing structure of Central Command with disgust, on his mind Roy Mustang's smug face as he had toiled on the blasted report of ten pages. Finally he was outside in the fresh air and away from Mustang's annoying commands.

As he strolled the cobblestone street of Central, his mind cleared and wandered to the latest events. Alphonse had been rather unusual, going on errands without saying a word and not returning for hours. Ed did ask his forlorn brother if he was bothered by something, but always got a negative response and that was it. Like the varing big brother Ed was, he would have followed and get to the bottom of his brother's problem. Mustang had been riding him for the past week that he didn't have any time to do it.

Envy had been appearing more and more, and being suspicously chatty. At first it began with the routine taunts and whistling designed to annoy him whenever he was clearing his mind. Then it became full-blown conversation about things a normal person would do. He tried to divine the homunculi's purpose on wasting time for both him and Ed, but came up with nothing everytime. Ed was going down a different route like every day, in case he would once fool Envy.

An unlikely occurence, Edward knew, but no reason not to try it anyway.

His stroll down the main avenue was cut short when he took a lazy left turn into the crossing street. Unlike the main avenue, this street was a tad less populated, but still had a lot of civilians going about their soon-to-be evening. Ed's visage was mainly unnoticed by passersby and Edward wanted it no other way, he liked walking and letting his mind wander for a while without any distractions before retuning to the hectic life of a military officer.

In the corner of his eye he saw a man in a gray coat and hat come up from the side and stop to look at one of the shop windows, looking at women's clothing. A big mistake on Envy's part, Ed thought smugly. When it came to disguises to fool Ed, Envy was surprisingly unimaginative and easy to spot after having the homunculus track him for the last month every day. He mentally sighed, preparing for the random blubbering.

Maybe he could avoid it completely by sticking to the main streets where there were too many pedestrians for Envy to casually torment him. It sounded plausible and Edward wondered how in the Gate he didn't think of it sooner.

Envy remained at his spot for a few moments longer before continuing his rather amateurish stalking. Though Edward had a feeling that Envy pretended to suck at this. How he could change his shape into whatever he wished was more a skill of a skilled assassin and spy than what was now following him. By his movements, Edward understood that Envy was going to join him in his walk whether they were in public or not.

Almost hurriedly, Envy was mere meters away when Edward stopped and stood still as a pole as Envy slammed into him.

"Ah, my apologies, my good sir. I hadn't expected for you to stop so suddenly." Envy's accent was rather strange but largly understandable. Unlike the previous times, Envy decided to mask his sultry voice with something new. Envy lifted himself up and patted him on the shoulder. Before it was too late, something left Envy's other sleeve and was firmly pressed against Ed's back.

It was pointy and hard and that could be all manner of weapons. Edward remained still and felt Envy's breath on his neck. "Let's go somewhere private, shall we?"

Under Envy's lead, Edward walked and was steered into a deserted street and straight into an alley. "Petrificus Totalus." Envy whispered and Ed was about to ask what in the hell was Envy doing when he felt his body go stiff. He would've fallen if Envy hadn't caught him. He couldn't move his hands or feet, only his eyes. His mind rolled to find any knowledge of paralyzing nerves and alchemy but came up with nothing.

With a grunt, Envy moved Ed and lowered him onto the ground, putting him into a relaxed sitting position. Ed wanted to yell, curse and bite but he couldn't move a single inch. Whatever Envy had done to him, it was darn effective. He warded off the panic slowly rising in his chest with his rage, losing his head now would only kill him.

"I do apologise for my actions, it befits you nor me." Envy said and retreated deeper into the alley, out of Edward's line of sight. Was this some kind of joke?, Edward thought furiously. Was Envy thinking of leaving him like this? In a dank alley and under the mercy of a thug?

Movement caught his eye from the opening of the alley. Suddenly Envy's scantly clad adrogynous form appeared and a smirk was on his face. "Got tired of walking, pipsqueak?"

Around Edward's eyes would've widened if he could move them. Then he rationalized and came to a satisfactory conclusion: Envy paralyzed him, went deeper into the alley and then made his way back to the alley entrance without Edward spotting him. Now Envy's face lost the smirk and became inquisitive.

"Woah, you been doing anger managment or something? Oi, pipsqueak, you gonna talk?" Envy's questioning tone was genuine, or it was made to be as such. Edward could always read the homunculi's jelousy a mile away, and feeling the confusion was appalingly easy. Envy wasn't faking it. That other man was not Envy...

"Petrificus Totalus." came the man's strangely accented voice from the depths of the alley. A white-blue bolt of etherial substance flew through the air and hit Envy in the chest. His body jolted in surprise and body was about to become stiff aswell when he forced himself out of it. His face was surprised then angry. More and more bolts of the strange substance came from the alley. Envy was unprepared for the second one and his fight against it's effects gave the other bolts time to hit him squarely in the chest.

Under the barrage, Envy was losing his battle against the stiffening effects and after what seemed a to be an eternity, he, too, fell flat on he ground, his hands at his sides and legs together. His purple eyes lit with fury. Footsteps came from the alley and the man appeared in Edward's vision.

In his hand was a short stick that looked to have been made with exquisite care. It's use to Edward was a mystery, but he had a feeling it was the object giving this man such tremendous power to fully incapacitate a homunculus. Again Edward endured the disgraceful process of being put into a lying position and suddenly lifted off the ground with no apparent means.

"I do try and make this as comfortable as possible, I haven't used this spell in quite some while." the man said with a whimsy quality to his voice. Meanwhile Edward couldn't believe his ears. Spell! Magic didn't exist! It couldn't! It didn't make any sense!

Furious and slightly panicked, Edward looked everywhere to try and find a way out of this nightmare. He tried to move his hands and clap them, but they stayed put where they werem at his sides and useless. Seeing Envy get taken down was also not doing good to his morale.

"I must say, your alchemy is incredibly fascinating. It has such marvelous results!" the man said happily, as if he was not kidnapping a Major of Amestris military and one of the most dangerous beings known to man, or atleast Alphonse and Edward, and Mustang and his group. Where was Alphonse?

"Though I must say that your vision of a Philosopher's Stone is a demented one." he added. The Philosopher's stone? He knew about it? This man was quickly becoming the person Edward and Alphonse had been looking for, but the way he promptly disabled Ed didn't bode well. They were moved deeper into the alley and Edward couldn't see where they were going, he could only see upwards. After a few minutes Edward saw a door opening and was levitated, for the lack of a better word, into the building.

A few staircases later he was settled on the ground of an non-descript apartment. The man removed his coat and hat, revealing snow-white hair and a soft face of an old man. He put it on a hanger and called out.

"I am home, my dear boy."

Stomps came from what looked to be a kitchen and Alhponse stepped into the room. Edward looked at the armor in disbelief. What was this? Why was Alphonse with this man?

"You didn't hurt them, did you?" Alphonse asked.

The old man shook his head. "They're fine. Though I think the homunculus might have a little bump on the head, but that will heal instantly." now the man also knew of homunculi and what they were capable of...Who was this man?!

"The clock is ticking, Alphonse. We do not have much time. Have you drawn the circle per my instruction?" Alhponse hastily nodded and his red glowing eyes glanced at his brother's prone form, regret and pain swirled inside them.

"Very good. Let's get them into the circle, quick." the old man's voice was urgent and he levitated Envy while Alphonse gently carried his brother. Edward was shocked, angry and afraid, though he would never admit the latter. He tried to see the transmutation circle but Alphonse covered his view and was again placed on his back so he couldn't even glimpse the nature of the circle.

"Sit in the circle, Alphonse. You'll soon have your body back." his voice was caring and Edward saw the old man's hand tap the rigid shell of Alphonse. Then he crouched over Edward to face him, his brown eyes remorseful but steeled.

"I wish I had more time to spare for all of you, but we must hurry. This book will lead you in your new lives." he conjured out of thin air a leather bound book and placed it on Edward's chest before stepping away and placing something else beside Edward's head. Alphonse gasped.

"Do not fret, it was not made as you think."

Without another word, the transmutation started with the air of regret and betrayal. The bright white-blue light that washed over Edward's and Alhponse's forms wre in stark contrast of the darkness roiling inside both of them. Edward cursed at the bonds that bind him, cursed Mustang for not letting him look after Alphonse. Something was bugging him and his big brother was too busy to help him! After all this time Ed had stumbled for the last time, and he was paying the price.

The transmutation reached it's apex and stripped away at everyone's bodies inside the circle. Alphonse looked at the ceiling, to try and ignore his brother's hurt and agonized gaze. He saw yet another circle appear on the ceiling, it's runes immediately recognizable to him. It looked to be a transmutation circle for transfering matter. Runes for void repeated many times along with the rune of movement. He looked at the man he had so desperately trusted.

The old man was calm, his eyes closed while his hand moved in arcane gestures and his mouth spoke in some unknown language. And then he found himself infront of the imposing Gate of Truth that he had hoped he would never see again. This must be yet another sacrifice to gain what he had yearned for far too long.

Just like last time, the small outline of Truth, the crazed handler of said gate, stood before him. The outline of Truth's mouth had a quisicall quality to it, as if he wasn't sure of what to think of this predicament. "I haven't seen this much calculative perfection in ages." Truth spoke glumly.

"Pays his bills to the last cent." Truth growled. Then he finally paid attention to the armor standing before him. It sighed. "Very well, you can go."

The Gate slowly opened and awaited for Alphonse to step through. As he passed he heard Truth mumble angrily to himself. "Was he even human?"

When Alphonse stepped through he lost consciousness, but knew he had his body back.

Golden eyes shot open, lungs ached for air it was deprived of and mind was sharp as a blade. Aching clarity befell Edward's mind and senses. He could feel every minute tremor of the bodies beside him, the air inside their throat scraping against the insides. For some unusual reason, he coped with the hypersensitivity like he was used to it. He lifted himself off the hard ground and looked at his hands. They were still in their white gloves. Even though he could completely feel his right arm and hand, he needed to see it with his own eyes.

The hand was almost shriveled. Atrophied and emaciated, it was a sorry sight. But Edward didn't care. It was his and it was back. He even wriggled the toes on his left foot and lavished in the foreign yet uplifting sensations. He then looked to his left right where he remembered Alphonse had been sitting and saw an corpse-like body inhaling rickety breaths and covered from head to toe in golden hair. Disgust savagely attacked Edward and he looked away.

That was Alphonse's body after all those years. It had aged, never eaten and absolutely vulnerable. A cold feeling seeped into him at that moment.

So what if he is vulnerable? He deserves for what he did.

Edward slapped a hand across his mouth in horror. He was on his feet instantly and looked around his surroundings. He was in the middle of a room that had so many strange apparatuses and baubles it looked like a sorcerer's private laboratory from a fairy tale. The he stumbled and fell as his left foot lost strength and his head hit the floor.

No blackout, no loss of consiousness except a pain and ringing. When he opened his eyes he saw Envy's prone form. It was still and unmoving. Whether the homunculus was awake or stunned from the transmutation, Edward couldn't know. His attention shifted to his little brother crawled over when he spotted something beside Alphonse. It was a metal brick of various colours, but the colour his automail and Alphonse's armor was the predominant metal in the menagerie.

Alphonse first, Edward reminded himself and removed his red coat and gently wrapped it around Alphonse. He would've stripped more clothing if he wouldn't be half naked after. A door from behind creaked open and sounded like a thunderclap to Edward's strangely acute hearing. He swiftly turned and stood up and was again about to fall onto the floor when he felt himself being lifted upright by an unseen force.

"I have been waiting for your arrival." A woman's voice spoke from the door. Edward looked and saw an elderly woman dressed in a robe point her wand at him before putting it back in the fold of her robe. Her auburn eyes bellied the quality of a woman you wouldn't want to cross. Her face changed instantly the moment her eyes fell on Alphonse.

"Oh dear!" she exclaimed and rushed towards them without any worry of being attacked. And she had no reason to worry, Edward was incapable of fighting with two weak limbs that were once unyielding and tireless metal.

"This boy needs a healing touch immideately." she waved her wand again and lifted Alphonse of the ground and started for the door. She stopped to look at the sleeping homunculus. "Come with me." she said to Edward and continued walking with Alphonse in tow.

Edward reluctantly followed and almost jumped when the door behind him slammed shut and thrummed with the sounds of locks being fastened. The room was incredibly spacious and homely: wooden floors with old rugs, a fireplace with comfortable armchairs. Bookshelves lined the walls and made an arch over a pass into the neighbouring room. The old lady rushed into the pass.

His leg was already tired and useless and Edward had to grip tightly onto the bookshelves to move and finally stumbled into the pass and looked at a small hallway with more open passages. He saw the tail of the lady's robe disappear at the end and forged onward.

Finally the woman stopped at a small room with a bed and nightstand, it's window overlooking a large moonlit field of poppies. Edward claimed a chair besides the window and watched the woman with scrutiny. Her senseless waving of that stick was having undeniable effects. The sheets of the bed comfortably wrapped around Alphonse on their own. After Alphonse was suficiently wrapped, the lady moved her attention to Edward who was bursting with questions, primarily as to what the hell was going on.

"I apologise for not welcoming you to my home. Welcome to the Flamel household. I am Perenelle Flamel." she gave a low curtsy before continuing. "Your presence is no mere coincidence. You are here because my husband sent you here." she spoke fluent Amestrian and Edward presumed he was still somewhere in Amestris.

"Oh no, my dear child. You are no longer in your own world." Madame Flamel shook her head. "Bimp!" she called.

Edward jumped when a loud pop slammed into his sensitive ears and there was a strange scrawny creature dressed in a simple white cloth with bulging eyes. "Yes, mistress?"

"Get the book from the chamber." she said. Bimp nodded and popped again, disappearing. Edward's jaw almost unhinged when he saw that and wondered if he had lost his mind. A second later the same pop threatened to rupture his ear drums, or at least it felt like it could.

In Bimp's spidery hands was the leather bound book from before. It gave it to Edward and disappeared again. Edward had to figure out how to tone the blasted hearing down, and how he got it. "What my husband did is beyond my comprehension, mister..."

Edward looked at her, unsure of what to believe anymore. "Edward Elric," he answered.

"Mister Elric, what is in that books is everything you must know. I will tend to you and your brother until both are well to travel. Ask for Bimp if you have any needs." she made another curtsy and left the room. Edward's mind reeled with everything today happened. "How did you know he was my brother?"

"Resemblance." Perenelle answered from down the hall.

Envy was on his feet the moment he regained consciousness, and dropped to his knees as he felt leaden fatigue pull at him. He tried to pull himself up and failed. His energy was aboslutely depleted. How could have this happened? Then he recalled it all. He saw the entity before the Gate Father spoke of only once. Truth it called itself and this was the third being he feared.

How did it come about to him being so drained of energy? It must have been the toll for passing what Envy to be a dimensional border. He had traveled through the world itself and was deposited into another one. If it was the intended destination Envy couldn't fathom. The feeling in his gut told him this was not the same as before.

With care, Envy lifted himself up. He was furious, angry, ashamed to have been so easily fooled with such a old trick as bait! But that man possessed powers beyond anything Envy could have ever imagined, and he wondered if Father could beat the man in single combat.

Envy wanted to destroy everything in this room, but reined in his temper. He has too little energy to spare for a temper tantrum, though he would glady indulge in one. His thoughts wandered to energy procurement. His core is extremely drained and he needed energy of the same type. In that case, he needed souls. Alchemically condensed souls.

And where would souls like that be? Probably nowhere. He did remember that the old man from before said his Philosopher's Stone was created differently. But the chances of it being compatible to his own are miniscule.

"Anyone in here?"

No response. Envy looked at the floor and saw footprints and two distinct patches in the shape of bodies beside his own patch. He felt blood rush through his body in an increasing pace. He looked away and watched carefully for any way out. His eyes settled on a wooden door and started for it when his hands was roughly pushed away and he fell onto the stone floor. He clenched his jaw and again kept his temper down. Whoever did this was going to pay.

As Envy lifted himself up, the door opened and an old woman stood on the doorstep. "I see you've woken up." she pointed out the obvious fact. Envy restrained from snapping and focused on the fact the woman was talking Amestrian and he knew he was in another world.

"Shrewd, aren't we." the woman said with fake delight. "Why?" Envy didn't understand why she said that. His composure was schooled as it always was, he was created to be unreadable. And this woman read his mind.

"A quick thinker, too. You truly were masterfully created." the woman kept on. "I believe these wards are needless with your current power." Envy felt the strange energies that surrounded the door disappear. He followed the woman, all the while cursing his predicament of being so easily read.

"No cursing in the house." she snapped and Envy felt his naked thighs and midriff burn for a second. With an involuntary blush of embarrasment, he followed the imposing woman. Nobody made him blush...

She stopped at a door to a guest room and gestured for Envy to step inside. Envy sneered at her and stepped in, surprised for not feeling a whole slew of those so-called wards shower his room. "When your friends are done reading, we will have a talk."

So pipsqueak and his brother were under the woman's protection. Interesting.

"And please put some proper clothes on, some might think of you a whore."

Envy's eyebrow quirked with unadultured rage and this time he let himself break the bed in half.

He didn't sleep. He felt no fatigue whatsoever. Unlike the times he spent days researching, he kept the exhaustion at bay with sheer willpower and determination. Now he didn't even have to try and he was wide awake, aware of things happening a dozen metres out in the field. This spatial awareness was making it hard to concentrate on the book in his hands he had to put of a couple of times because it was ludicrus.

The concept of another world was far too hard for Edward to wrap his mind around in a single night. And that the world was inhabited by whimsy creatures and magic made it even more ridiculous. But he had witnessed and was influenced by the strange powers these 'wizards' have under their control. Needing a distraction, he looked at his weak hand, unsure if he wished this was a dream.

"Brother?" came a hoarse voice that drew tears to Edward's eyes. He stood up and fell on his knees beside the bed. "I'm here, Al. Big brother is here."

The large golden eyes brimmed with tears. "I-" Al started but was stopped by Edward's hand on his head. "Don't talk. You hungry?"

Al's eyes lit up with a desire he had never felt since he was a child, now rekindled anew and almost insatiable. The creature, Bimp, brought a broth first. Edward agreed, Al's body hadn't eaten for years and his digestive system can only handle easy food. Al's disappointment was palpable. After the food Al dozed off in his attempt to read the book. Edward took it back and settled himself with his back to the wall beside the bed.

He went to the last page he read and went on to the next chapter of Nicholas's instructions for the Elric brothers, and surprisingly Envy. Then it dropped. In the first paragraph, right off the bat. You are a homunculus.

At first Edward thought Flamel was refering to Envy, but he knew he would be fooling himself. He continued reading. Humanity for a body, that was the exchange while the Stone was used to pay the fine of transportation. How much did it take to pay for transporting two people across space and time and into another dimension, Edward shivered at the thought of any such amount.

He continued reading, taking what the book said in stride. Flamel called Edward a perfect homunculus, a construct closest to a human being while retaining all the superhuman abilities of a homunculi, and that he could absorb energy by just eating food though also capable of consuming other sources of energy. Edward could feel the inate sadness in the next paragraph about Envy. His core after the arrival to Flamel's world would be almost completely drained and in need of another source. In thick letters was written a number to the page where the creation of a Philosopher's Stone was described with great incentive to replace Envy's core with it.

It was incredible. He, in fact, now holds Envy's life in his hands. A turn of tables that would have sent Edward heavenward if he wasn't so distraught by the recent events. But why should he be so disturbed by Al getting his body back? Then came the sting of betrayal and that voice of hatred festering inside him. Why didn't Al just talk to him? He was could have asked him anytime, brothers were far more important than stupid reports and stacks of papers. Had been Al driven so much after all these years to gain his body back to trust a stranger in gaining it? To betray his brother's humanity for his own corporeal desires?

The door creaked open and Madame Flamel stepped inside with a tray full of potion bottles Edward saw in many herbal shops. They had labels in a foreign language and had a cross wrapped by a seprent, a simpler variant of the Flamel.

She didn't even require Al to be awake. With master physician skill she administered all of the potions and was gone again. Edward watched Al's face as it slightly scrunched up from the sour taste in his mouth but kept on sleeping. A mirror appeared beside him with a note.

You might want to look at your face.

He picked it up and almost dropped it. His golden eyes were bleeding purple, the same purple he had seen in Envy's eyes.

Envy's eyes were the most intense thing Edward had ever seen in his life. They were the only thing standing out in the sparks and blurrs when he fought the homunculus. Inside them he always saw rage, annoyance and fury that he reserved only for Edward. He even saw it during the stalking, when he casualy talked, his eyes harbored those emotions. And that made Edward curious about Envy, why did he do the things he did. It wasn't out of passion, need or madness, but calculated and indifferential.

His golden eyes were now stained by the mauve colour, and he liked it.

"Bimp," he called. A pop and Bimp stood before him. "Bring me breakfast." he said a bit awkwardly. Ed wasn't used to giving such orders, and having them fulfilled. Bimp bowed and disappeared. A moment later a tray with abundant eggs, sausages and toast poped into existence on the nightstand. Al didn't even move from the noise, out like a doorknob. He ate it with gusto even though he had no hunger to sate. In fifteen minutes the tray was empty and Edward felt no different than before.

A tingle sprang in his left leg and right arm until it became a constant. It felt like when a part of his body fell asleep, the uncomfortable tingling sensation. He removed his glove and saw the hand become fuller before his very eyes. In mere moments the hand was identical to his healthy one. The incredible regenerative capabilities of a homunculus were really astounding. Edward lost count how many times he had impaled and cut Envy and his siblings and the wounds simply closed like nothing happened. The same happened to his left leg.

With care, Edward stepped onto the leg and felt it stand firm on the ground, giving no signs of weakness. He grasped a candle holder and bent it without even trying. He was so shocked by the sudden powers he had been given that he forgot he had just destroyed Madame Flamel's property. It was a silver candlestick and probably priceless by the look of it. He clapped his hands and willed the stick back to it's former shape. It worked like always.

The homunculi Edward fought never used alchemy except the innate abilities they possessed, but nothing more. They didn't clap or use transmutation circles, either. This was what Flamel meant as a perfect homunculus. Human, and yet unhuman. He looked outside the window and wished to test out this body that was left after the humanity within was stripped away.

He decided to do just that. Alphonse was taken care of.

Ed exited the room and his attention was drawn by a rumbling sound coming down the hall. He looked and saw Envy splayed on the floor, his ankle set at a strange angle. Ed steadily walked over to the exhausted homunculus and glanced at the opened door beside Envy. The bed inside was broken in half. He looked at Envy and saw him with an incredibly agnonized expression on his face, not even caring it was seen by his arch nemesis.

"Envy, you okay?" Ed asked. Envy looked at him. "What do you think?" he deadpanned. The ankle still hasn't regenerated and the pale flesh around it became an inflamed red and started to swell. Envy must be so drained that his body refused to use the remaining energy to instantly heal him. A change of cores is a must, if Edward so wanted.

"C'mon, let's get you off the floor." Ed offered his hand and expected for the homunculus to refuse his offer. Envy looked at him straight in the eye and took his hand. Edward was shocked as to how cold and sweaty it was. The once strong pale flesh was now soft as clay and Edward was being careful to not break the homunculus' hand in his own. As if Envy's condition wasn't bad enough, Ed underestimated his strength and almost stumbled when Envy slammed into his chest.

Envy hissed and tried to push himself off of Edward's hard chest but didn't have the strenght, not anymore. Now he couldn't even walk with the busted ankle. Two warm hands grasped his sides and he felt his face redden. They tried to pull him away but he clung close so Ed couldn't see his embarrased face. Why does he always have to make it hard for me?

"Umm, Envy..." Edward breathed, unsure of this situation of having the deadly homunculus wrapped around him like that and clinging so desperately. "Gotta rest for a bit." Envy answered, his arms slithering away from his back and to the wall. Edward let go and averted his gaze from Envy, to give him a semblance of dignity. They were enemies, after all.

"Wanna go outside with me?" Ed offered. Envy raised his pallid face to look at him and gave a small nod. The window at the end of the hall looked out at the sunbathed poppy field and looked inviting. Edward helped Envy walk, the homunculus was in no state to walk with the ankle. They saw Perenelle in the kitchen reading a collection of letters, her eyes full of tear and a resigned look on her face.

The moment she sensed minds close to her, she vanished the letters and schooled her face. She looked at the two intruders and focused more on the pale homunculus and the sheen of sweat on his body. The golden-haired homunculi's hand on the other's waist was so gentle and mild to not bruise the weakened flesh. The prideful creature was struggling to maintain it's preffered form, unwilling to preserve it's energies by switching to something easily sustainable. She sighed when she saw the twisted and swelling ankle.

"Come here." she called and Edward obidiently brought Envy to the chair next to her. Envy had a frown on his face and gave little ressistance when Perenelle took his foot in her hands and settled it in her lap. The picture looked like a incredibly conservative mother helping her rebelling child, a breath taking scene that made Edward smile. Envy looked at him with gritted teeth from the pain. "What are you smilling at, pipsqueak." he growled.

The insult was ignored and Envy focused back on his ankle, looking away from that smile and wishing he hadn't seen it.

When Envy's ankle was well, thanks to Perenelle's magics that Ed no longer wanted to question, him and Ed got out of the house and into the sunlight with Perenelle's insistence. Envy laid on his back, his hands to his sides and legs together. Edward at first looked at Envy with concern before proceeding to remove his shirt and began the routine warm up.

The new found spatial awareness perfected his moves until they were all exact in their execution. His body was in it's prime and Edward felt mora and more invigorated the more he used it. Out of curiosity, he transmuted a thick wall of dirt before him and swung a punch. In the past he could only dent the wall and that was when using automail, now his bare fist penetrated the compacted dirt and demolished the entire construct. The piece of dirt suffering the impact flew a hundred yards before emitting a slapping sound when it hit a tree.

At that point Ed felt indestructable. He didn't even break a sweat and was going at it for atleast an hour of one of the most rigorous training regimen created by Izumi. At that thought his mood darkened. Neither he nor Al will ever see their teacher, or Al wont see her; Edward now has all the time in the world to devise a transmutation circle that would transport him back to Amestris. Winry, Gran Pinako, all those people he had met and became friends with he would most likely never see. He wouldn't even see Roy again.

He lifted his head, feeling he was being watched and saw Envy's head land on the ground softly. He smirked. Envy was watching him train, and he hadn't missed the sense of longing on the homunculi's face. For a shapeshifter and assassin, Envy was having a hard time keeping his emotions away from him.

"Like what you see?" he asked teasingly, as if Envy was homosexual, though everything was a possibility with a shapeshifter Ed figured. Envy snorted. "Hardly."

Ed picked up his discarded shirt and deemed it sufficiently warm without wearing it. He braced himself and sat beside Envy. The apprehension was palpable. "There is something you should know."

"And that is?"

"If we don't change your core, you will die."

"What are you talking about? Change my core? You hit your head during that stupid choreography."

Edward turned and looked Envy straight in the eye. Envy frowned and raised his hand to cover his eyes from the sun. In the shade his eyes were feverish and vibrant, Edward would have lost himself in them if it weren't for the impatient scowl on the homunculi's face.

"That book Flamel gave me... he turned me into a homunculus in exchange for my brother's body." Edward began. "I am-" he tried to continue but Envy's roaring laughter was to distracting. It was so gleeful. "And I thought you spilled eye dye or something!" Envy said between cackles. Edward frowned and stood up. "Okay, fine. You can stay here and die for all I care." he said it so nonchalantly that Envy kept on laughing but kept a steady gaze at the blonde's leaving back. The doors of the double-story cottage closed and Envy was left alone in the sunbathed field of poppies.

The first chapter of the new Pride of Hogwarts, ladies and Gentlemen. I am slightly underwhelmed with what I wrote, I know I could have written better but the solution eludes me. I will keep the last chapters on for the week and then erase them, Maybe put them in my legacy to see my roots along with A New Envy. Thank you all for supporting, favoriting and following this left 4 dead fic, I am indeed touched by your passion for it.

Thank you all, and Loner Kid, you gonna go down in my book for being so dedicated to actually take your time to write up a PM.

- Armor and Soul