Disclaimer: All rights for characters, places, and concepts belong to their owners. [Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu own Gundam Wing]
A/N: (~) indicate Mindspeech and italics indicate thoughts.
This one... well, urm... this one... wasn't like the rest.
Brother, what did you do now?
Al woke to the sound of chirping birds and a gentle breeze blowing across his face. The sun had just risen, shining directly into his eyes as he tried to open them.
Wait a minute. What's going on? I... I... I can FEEL!!!
"Brother! I can feel the warmth of the sun! I feel the wind blow through my...OH MY GOD!!!!!"
Al collapsed down into the grass. He frantically looked about him. The image just wouldn't go away.
No,no,nononononononono!
"Ed, you IDIOT! You turned me into a horse!"
Al began to sniffle. Well, he tried to sniffle. It came out as more of a snort.
This is worse than being a suit of armor. Now, I don't even look remotely human. I knew I shouldn't of gotten my hopes up...but we were so sure it would work this time. Maybe Brother will know what happened.
"Ed!"
Al clamored to his feet...er, hooves and started to frantically look for his brother. Grassy hills surounded him. But off in the distance Al could make out a large grouping of buildings. He decided to make his way towards them. Hopefully his brother would be there.
Ed woke to hot pokers piercing through his eyes. The pain from the migrane distracted him from noticing that a young woman dressed in green robes was making her way to his bedside.
"You mustn't move too swiftly. The backlash has weakened you terribly."
Ed moved his head towards the voice and tried to open his eyes only to shut them tight again when the room began to spin.
"Ugh! Just kill me now!"
The woman chuckled at this and went to assist the boy in sitting up.
"That's just something I cannot do, especially after all the time I spent tending you. Here, drink this willowbark tea. It should help with the pain."
She gently brought the cup she carried to his lips. The boy drank the brew and then leaned his head back on to the headboard.
"Where's my brother? Did Al go out somewhere?"
The woman looked confused and then concerned.
"Did something happen to him? I know something went wrong with the transmutation... that blue glow... not right, not right at all! So, where is he?! Where is Al?!"
"Calm down, youngling. You were found alone in Companion's Field unconscious, burning up with a strange fever. That, my boy, was two days ago. No other has been found."
"What! Al! NOOOO!"
What did I do? What did I do? Al! I'm so sorry!
"Please calm yourself. He may still be out there. Perhaps even looking for you. Maybe if you could describe him, I could have the Heralds search the field for him. Well, how about it, youngling?"
"I would appreciate that Miss... um, I'm sorry, I never got your name."
"Nyria, Healer to the Great...urm, what's your name?"
"Oh, sorry! Edward...Edward Elric."
"Nyria, Healer to the Great Edward Elric! Pleased to meet you."
The healer sweeped in to give Edward an affectionate kiss on the forehead.
"Not to worry young Edward, we shall find your brother. Let me go grab a friend of mine while you rest a bit."
She gently pushed him down to rest on the pillow. Then she took off through the door, leaving Edward alone with his thoughts.
I will find you, Al. I'll won't lose you.
~"Tali! I need your assistance with our little phantom."
Rand received a chuckle through the mind-speech link.
~"You still haven't caught up to him. *snicker, snicker* That has got to be a first for you, Rand."
~"Laugh all you want, but I for one do not think it's funny a youngling is out there frightened and alone."
~"Yeah, yeah. I know. So, what do you want me to do?"
~"I want you and your chosen to lure him to the grove."
~"And just how is that going to work?"
~"One thing that I have noticed watching him is that he always draws near the collegium when the younglings are out. And since my chosen is greying and far from youth, I figured..."
~"You figured he would approach Shari."
~"Exactly. And if not, with her strong gift of mindspeach and empathy together, she may be able to communicate with him."
~"Agreed. Let me collect Shari and explain what we need her to do. I'll meet you in the grove in a half candlemark."
"Edward! What are you doing out of bed?"
Edward started alittle and turned in her direction.
"I... I was looking for Al."
Nyria's expression softened as she walked to his side.
"I told you I was going to get my friend to help you find him. You should be in bed. Now, let's get you settled and you can tell Taryn all about your brother, okay?"
Edward nodded his head in agreement and accepted Nyria's support as she led him back to the bedside.
Nyria tucked Edward in as if he was a child and smiled when he groused that he wasn't a little kid.
"Now then, Edward. This is Taryn. Taryn, this is Edward Elric."
Taryn came forward and smiled at Edward.
"Hey, Ed! Nyria's told me all about you. I'm here to help. You tell me what your brother is like and I'll find him. There hasn't been a time when I haven't been able to find what I was looking for. No, sir-ree! Did you know that one time Shari lost her books, well, she always looses something, anyway... I found them in the one grove in Campanion's Field, you know the one by the stream. Yep, all I have to do is know that something's lost and ...POOF! There it is. What can I say, I'm just that good. So, do you..."
Nyria rolled her eyes at her friend. You get her talking and she never stops. Looking over to Ed, she noticed he looked a bit overwhelmed. Nyria caught his attention and mouthed "sorry" to him. Ed smiled at this.
"Taryn!"
"And this other time..."
"TARYN!!! Be quiet."
"But boy was being a party-pooper. So, I..."
Nyria walked over and grabbed Tayrn's shoulders roughly and shook.
"TARYN!!! SHUT UP!!!"
Taryn looked straight at Nyria, hurt.
"What did you do that for? All you had to do was tell me to be quiet and I would have. You know you don't have to get so rough. I know when to be quiet..."
"Ugh, ...Taryn!"
Nyria was starting to whine. She knew this. But sometimes Taryn could be such a hand full.
Taryn noticed her friend's whimper and stopped her monologue.
"I'm sorry sometimes I get a little carried away," she told them both.
"Now," she looked straight at Edward, "tell me about your brother and I'll find him."
A young girl in trainee grays looked up from where she was reading to see her Companion entering the grove. Her smile grew to an overwhelming brightness as she dropped her book and ran to Tali's side.
~"Tali!"
Shari threw her arms around Tali's neck and hugged her with all her might.
~"I've missed you soooooooo-ooooh MUCH!"
Tali chuckled.
~"You act like you haven't seen me in a year."
~"It felt like forever."
Tali rolled her eyes at her chosen's antics.
~"I just saw you this morning."
~"Yeah, well. That was way too long."
Tali leaned into Shari's caresses and whickered into her hair.
~"Well, sweet heart, do you think you could help me with something?"
Shari looked up into loving blue eyes.
~"Of course."
~"Thank you."
~"Is it something to do with the boy I found the other day?"
~"I don't think so. It's about this new Companion that has appeared in the field. The poor thing keeps shying away from us when we try to approach him. Even Rand cannot get near him. The one thing he doesn't seem to be scared of is younglings like you."
~"Oh, so you want to see if I can talk to him."
~"Yes."
~"You can count on me. Just show me where to find him."
Ed nodded his head.
"But if he's the younger brother, then why are..."
"DON'T EVEN GO THERE!!!" Edward huffed with that particular vien in his forehead ticking with his pulse.
"HE IS MY YOUNGER BROTHER AND THAT IS THAT!!!"
"Calm down. I didn't mean to offend you. It's not like I was going to say you were a tiny little pipsqueak who is so small you need a microscope to see you."
Taryn just smiled as Edward turned a pissed bright red and opened his mouth to yell at her.
"What is a microscope anyway?"
Edward stopped the tirade he was about to unleash and explained to Taryn.
"Hey, wait a minute. How come you don't know what a microscope is? You're friends with a doctor. You should know."
"Actually, Ed, I've never heard of it either."
Ed looked to Nyria in shock.
"What kind of hospital is this?"
"Well, actually it's the House of Healing. Now, why don't you finish telling Taryn about Al so we can find him."
"Okay. I like I said before Al is my younger brother. Because of an accident I caused, Al stays in the suit of armor."
"Ed, it might help if you told me how you ended up in Companion's Field."
"I don't know how I got there. The last thing I remember before waking up here is trying to get Al out of the suit of armor, but...", Edward trailed off.
"But what?" Nyria urged him on.
"Something went wrong. The transmu... circle... blue..."
"Ed."
"All my fault..."
"Ed!"
"The calculations..."
"ED!!!"
Edward stopped and looked up at the Healer and Herald.
"It's all my fault! I was so sure this time. I thought I could bring his body back! All I ever do is make it worse for him. And now, look at it. I've made him disappear. I...I...I've killed my own brother!"
At this point, Edward collapsed in tears. Both Nyria and Taryn ran to his side to hug him.
"That is complete nonsense Ed. You did not kill your brother. It'll be alright. Don't worry we'll find him," Nyria whispered while she held him.
"Ed, I'm going to look for him right now. You just leave it to me. I wasn't lying when I said there was nothing I couldn't find. So, just hang in there. I'll have your brother to you before you know it."
With a massive squeeze, Taryn forced the sobbing boy to focus on her words.
"Don't make me give you another bear hug.
Ed looked to Taryn with more sense in his eyes and used his sleeve to wipe the tears away. A small smile on his face.
"No, anything but that!"
Taryn smiled back and turned to leave.
"That's better. Don't worry. Big sister will take care of everything."
To be continued...