Congratulations! This is the second fanfiction that has made me cry (in a good way). Very few authors are willing to write such tragic and emotional stories. Most stories are the fairytale story, or if they are tragic, they are overdramatic; I'm am pleased to say that yours is neither. I want to thank you for such a well-written and enjoyable story. Even though it was heart-wrenching and horrifying to learn the truth in the end, I truly enjoyed its emotional draw and the clever loop that connected the beginning to the end.

Once again… a beautifully written story… bravo!

I agree with you on your last comment… it is similar to Apopthesis but at the same time different as well…

Apopthesis focused on sacrifice which is a commonality in this story but your story focused on the grieving process and how the characters move on with their lives and take the fresh start that has been given to them while Apopthesis focused on the journey towards the destination (death)…

You’re really good with tragedy and I like they way you’ve managed to connect all the events and actions in the end… it was incredible…

It was a lovely read and I hope to read more of your works in the future. _

Okay, I did sob through most of it. Or all of it :'(

This story was a masterpiece. It was absolutely briliiant. Ed's sacrifice... Just tore me apart. Thanks so much.

I love this story, its very hard to find sophisticated stories like this.

Oh man, I started tearing up in the previous chapter when Roy realizes what Ed found out...and this whole last chapter the tears I had lined up all came tumbling down. MAN- great story but so sad! Sure, there were Al's moments of being back in his body that were kinda cool and Hooray!-esque...but I'm still overwhelmed. Great job writing! T.T The tears are just a sign of how much you the author were able to reel me in!

Your title for this story is so literal, it's almost cruel. Goodness, what a perfect name for such a fantastic piece of literature.

I enjoyed every word. I couldn't help myself - I had to read it all in one sitting. So much for rationing it out in order to savor it properly. xD In any case, I particularly enjoyed the chase through the trail of books that Ed had left behind. The way Roy followed Ed's chain of thought as he pieced together the puzzle...it was amazing, and incredibly intriguing for me as a reader to follow along. Very exciting; I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride, not sure what was coming up next, but certain it would be intriguing. Ending the trail with the very beginnings of alchemy was a fantastic idea. I loved how you pulled in the sorcery aspect.

I also loved the dynamic between Roy and the Elric brothers. The way they looked up to him and the way he became their brother throughout their journeying: a tentative bond first forged on one unfortunate, rainy night, but fully realized by the end of the story. Very touching and sweet, and it was so heartwarming to see how much of a family they had become by the end of the fic.

Oh, I can't forget about this! I absolutely adored the way you weaved the past and the present throughout these five chapters, teasing, hinting just a bit about what really happened to Ed - and yet saved the actual scene for the end, twisting it into a countdown, building suspense. We were led to our own conjectures, and then you spilled the truth, but you didn't stop there. Right at the end, you had Ed's words lead Roy into the future, showing again that the three of them would forever be bonded together.

Wonderful story, and wonderful work telling it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fic. Thank you so very much for sharing it.

Wow...Oh god WOW...This is definitely the best FMA fic I've read in a really, really long time; I'm so glad I found it. First off, the grammar, spelling, and sentence structure are flawless, which make the story so believable and easy to follow, which unfortunatley is very hard to come by in most fanfiction. Props to that! Now on to the actual STORY. The story itself is so amazing and just sounds so real; I could really feel the grief and regret during all of the "I really miss him" scenes. I personally love parental!RoyxEd/Al and you just nailed this genre on the head with the RoyxAlphonse scenes. They were both entirely in character, which in fanfiction can be really hard to do. I had my suspicions throughout the story about Ed's final transmutation, but the subtle hints throughout the whole piece and the huge reveal at the end of chapter 4 were nothing short of gorgeous. Chapter five, though, definitely struck me the hardest. Reading all the flash backs, knowing what Ed had known, especially when all these scenes had already be briefly mentioned in the previous chapters...gosh it was just so strong! I felt my chest tightening reading each scene while knowing where it was all leading up, especially with the italicized "x days before" at the end of each scene. I can't place what it is about those parts, but it was really, really powerful. And the last one, Ed's death scene, it just shook me to pieces...And the ending itself; I just love the sudden contrast with the gruesome truth and the little kittens/Elysia. Al's comment about the ears was not only in character, but just so cute and hauntingly perfect against Roy's inner turmoil. The final line too, Ed's line, I love so much. Thsi was just fabulous to read-thank you :)

Oh my gosh. I'm not gonna lie, you're amazing. Usually the only thing that can touch me is music and poetry, but this fanfiction actually had me sobbing (This is the person who reads death fanfiction for some sick, horrible pleasure (I don't laugh at it though) ) Write more you amazing person, write more.

This fic was just as amazing as its sequel _ I was crying by the end of the first chapter, and several more times throughout the fic. It's so full of that wonderful pain-and-healing that is life. And that's where I think the strength of this fic comes from. It's so REAL. The things people say, the way they do things...it just feels like real people, rather than some fantasy cooked up in somebody's mind.

This was an unspeakably beautiful fic, staying true to the characters but branching out into utterly new territory. And for some reason, now that I know it all, I keep on thinking of Breaking Benjamin's songs "Dear Agony" and "Without You."

such a great story! now i understand! :) i

ve been reading your 2nd fic not knowing what was going on! xD Though in chapter 2, when Alphonse grabbed his brothers coat, he should be saying nii-san or brother. it's quite weird of him saying Ed when he's been calling him brother for years. other than that, you write very good heartbreaking stories :)

So sad, so sad! I cried when I read the last two chapters. I liked the story a lot. Good job!

T_T

Now I will go reread the real ending. This is good. Style could use some improvement, but it's got a good flow.

Oh man, here come the waterworks. Why does this show/manga have to be so gosh darn sad, even within the fandom. Oh Al, Oh Roy. ED! .

Looking forward for the rest.

Lovely fanfic! I really enjoyed reading it. (:

I discovered this story lare last night while I was in another one of those "I-must-find-an-amazing-FMA-fanfic" moods. It was utterly insane. then I remember that I had read one of your stories before and decided that since I knew for a fact that I hadn't read all of them, I skimmed through and tah-dah! Here we are.

You know, I've read a lot of fanfics that involved a tragic death for one of the brothers, but I have to say that none of them quite hit home like this one. I never really cried while reading this, but I do admit to tearing up more than a few times and plus the fact that the emotions that were stirred inside me made my heart soft. It was beautiful, a masterpiece, a true work of art that set absolutely no boundaries, and it is a story such as this one that is the most difficult to forget.

And you know what? You are the first person whose story I was forced to read on my kindle! I wanted to know what happened so badly that I brought my kindle around just so I could access the internet and get to this story. In fact, I was forced into reviewing it on my kindle too!

You're just that talented, you crazy awesome author, you.

ooh! i like this! :D i liked the pacing of the revelations and the sequence of how you revealed it one by one in the midst of the days of al's slowly recovering life. the story was built up greatly along with its' fitting conclusion.

cheers!