And it's done! Thank you everyone for reading this story and reviewing it, but now I'm afraid our story must draw to a close. I know the last chapter was...depressing, but this should help bring some peace to it. I can't wait to write many more Fullmetal Alchemist stories in the future. Hopefully they will have brighter and happier endings than this one. I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. (And yes, the letter from the first chapter is repeated again, but for a reason)

It hurts to find out that what you wanted doesn't match what you dreamed it would be.-Randy K. Milholland

Epilogue: By My Side

They say that when you die, your life flashes before your eyes.

Sometimes only one moment makes a difference.

"Brother!"

"Huh? What?" Ed flung his arms about as if he was fending off some attacker.

"You fell asleep."

Ed sleepily looked around from the spot against the tree he was sitting at. "Oh...oh yeah." he chuckled, looking up at the large suit of armor in front of him. Ed stood up, stretching his arms above his head. "Shall we get going?"

"I suppose, but if you're still tired..."

Truthfully he was, but he didn't want Al worrying. "No no, I'm fine. Let's go."

They began walking down the path they had paused to rest by the side of the road during their trip to the city they were assigned to, a city that didn't have trains. They had been walking for some time when Al suggested to take a break by a tree that was nearby, and Ed had agreed. Maybe that was when he had fallen asleep.

Ed frowned as they walked. He couldn't really remember the dream he had when he was asleep, but he knew that it had something to do with their most recent failed attempt at acquiring the Philosopher's Stone. And something had happened to Al.

He hadn't even realized that his pace had slowed down until Al spoke up. "Brother?"

"Hmm?"

"Is something wrong?"

Ed didn't reply, lapsing into silence for a few minutes before saying, "Just thinking."

"About what?"

"...A dream I had."

Al could see where this was going as Ed continued, "Al, I'm sorry that I haven't gotten your body back yet."

"Don't worry about that Brother. Remember, we have to get your arm and leg back first. Right?"

Ed allowed himself a small smile at Al's continued selflessness. "Right." he echoed. An idea suddenly came to him. "Hey Al, hold still for a second."

"W-wait Brother, what are you-"

Ed climbed up on to Al's back. "OK, now go."

"Brother!"

"What?"

"I thought you got too old for me carrying you. Besides, that's really selfish. Gah...you must still be tired or something."

Ed ignored him as he looked around at the area around them. "Nice view from up here." he cheekily grinned down at Al. Al didn't say anything, until...

"Was it a bad dream?"

"Huh?"

"The dream you had."

Ed frowned. "I guess. I don't really remember most of it."

"I see."

There was a pause before Ed spoke up again. "Al?"

"Yes?"

"I promise that I will get your body back. And then we'll get our own house...maybe get some cats..."

"Brother..."

"So don't worry about me and just worry about yourself, OK? I don't want you to do anything reckless...and end up leaving me behind." Ed said, more to himself than to Al. For a second, Al was afraid that Ed might actually be crying.

"Leave you? I would never do that!"

Ed didn't say anything, so Al pressed on. "Fine. But you have to promise me the same. You can't leave me behind either."

"It's a promise!" Ed nodded, feeling strangely better, despite the strange hollow feeling that was forming in his stomach. He smiled as he wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve, and he had a feeling that if Al could smile, he would be too. Suddenly, a butterfly fluttered in Ed's face, landing on his nose. Ed sputtered as the butterfly quickly flew off and out of range from his swinging arms. Al laughed at his antics and Ed eventually joined in even though it was at his own expense. Al listened to Ed's laughter, thinking to himself.

As long as you're by my side, Brother, we'll always be together, no matter what.

"Isn't it great outside, Brother?" Al asked, smiling what he hoped was a cheerful smile as he twisted to look down at Ed from where he was sitting in the wheelchair. Ed didn't react to Al's words as he continued to stare blankly ahead. Al was still smiling even as his fingers tightened on the wheelchair. "Well, it certainly is a nice day, not all humid and muggy like how it has been the past few weeks. In fact..."

He continued to rattle on, despite the fact that he knew Ed wasn't listening to him, or couldn't anyway.

"Anyway...I know you'll get better someday. Even if the others have given up, at least you'll always have me."

Somehow this made him feel a little better. Ed would never be alone, despite the others that had moved on. He watched, waiting for a reaction from Ed. Ed moved his head ever so slightly so that he appeared to be staring at a tree nearby. Al found himself looking too. A family of bluebirds were twittering on one of the tree branches closest to them. He watched for a few seconds longer before the birds suddenly took off, flying far away.

It seems the bluebird has flown out of our lives, Al couldn't help but think. He watched Ed, who looked to be what could be mistaken as disappointment on his features.

Suddenly, a bluebird appeared from nowhere, landing on the armrest of Ed's wheelchair. They looked at it as it twittered, looking here and there at it's new landing post. It appeared to be a very young bluebird, maybe one that had just recently left the nest. It looked up at Ed, it's beady eyes matching his.

And then, to Al's amazement, he thought he saw a small smile appear on Ed's face as the bluebird twitched it's thin legs against Ed's fingertips.

Maybe there was still hope after all.

Dear Fuhrer Mustang,

I've gotten used to calling you that now, but I bet that Ed would still be referring to you as a colonel anyway! How is Miss Hawkeye, or should I say "Mrs. Mustang"? By the way, congratulations on getting married! I'm sorry that I couldn't attend the wedding. Winry told me about it though. It sounded great.

Brother is making a little progress. I took him outside yesterday, and for a few minutes, I saw him smiling! It took a little while coming back inside, he just looked so happy being outside in the sunny weather.

Maybe someday he'll tell me why he was smiling that day.

I think maybe he was just relaxed about living in Resembool again. No more dangerous missions and enemies to worry about anymore. Things are finally peaceful for the two of us.

I know that it seems hard taking care of Ed, but it's OK. I know people think he's not "there", but I know he is. He's just sleeping, that's all. And I know he'll wake up and get better someday and things will be right again.

Anyway, I just wanted to update you on how well I'm doing and wondering how you are. I'll let you know if there has been any more changes in Brother.

Yours respectfully,

Alphonse Elric.

The facts were these:

No one really knows what happened to the Elric Brothers. To most, it seems like they vanished off the face of the earth. To others, like the citizens of Resembool, many rumors flew about as to their fate. One story was that the older brother died and the younger's mental health declined to the point of committing suicide. Another version of the same story was that the older brother was in a coma and never woke up while the younger brother simply disappeared, never to be heard from again. There is even a story that it was the opposite; that the younger brother had died and the older had fallen into the pits of depression and insanity.

The age of the stories of the Fullmetal Alchemist and the journey of two brothers has long since past, simply slipped through the cracks and only brought up by those who vaguely remembered them and had heard nothing of their deaths.

But to the very few who truly knew them best, they know of a story, of the older brother miraculously waking up and once again risking everything to save his younger brother, and the two had tragically died from exhaustion and illness, both mental and physically. The official story was "a cave in" when told to others, after they had managed to dig their way through and find them, in a small pocket of space that had actually protected them from the falling rocks. Autopsy revealed stab wound for the younger, organ failure, more specifically heart attack for the older. They were buried next to each other; next to their mother.

What had happened in the cave? How did Ed wake up from an eight-month coma? Had there been a witness to these strange events? Those are the only questions no one can answer, except for the very people that had been there during the event. And they're all dead, one presumed dead but possibly missing, if they had ever really been there at all. No one really stopped to answer, and life painfully moved on.

However, one year after their deaths, the villagers were, quite frankly, baffled when they stepped outside. Thousands upon thousands of firefly grass had mysteriously sprung up across nearly every square inch of empty fields stretching to the edge of Resembool. It was an anomaly that no one could explain, and the only offered suggestion was that someone had planted them overnight. But who? And how could they possibly have been able to cover nearly all of Resembool? Alchemy, sure. But that didn't explain who and why it had been done.

Although, some did take notice of how the largest and most beautiful of the mysterious flowers had bloomed around the Elric brother's graves.

There is a legend that says if one holds firefly grass to his chest and prays,
Then the person he's thinking of will be able to feel it…

Do you believe in this too?

…Even if I didn't have firefly grass, if we were to be separated,
Brother would be able to feel my thoughts…

Yes…he definitely would…

The End