A/N: Rated T for scary situations and mild language. I do not own any characters or plot lines of FMA.
Childhood memories were a welcoming summer breeze to the Elric brothers as they trudged through the sweltering desert path. Innocence was something long washed away from their skin by the bloodshed of fated souls. The heavy metal armor pushing through the sand next to him and the mechanical squeak of automail gears scraping each other was a constant reminder to Edward Elric of how good intentions came so close to the fine line of bad ones.
Yes, childhood was a happier time. A time of growth, both in the physical and mental aspect. So much knowledge was consumed by the brothers in those days, so much warmth surrounded them-- and in the end, so much suffering.
Alphonse believed that the day Ed became a state alchemist was the day they both soared into adulthood. But Ed knew that that dream was a lie. A pretty lie, a nice lie to believe when the times got hard, but a lie just the same. They really stumbled into adulthood the day they committed the taboo.
Children are simple creatures. They crave only the bare necessities in life: food, warmth, shelter, a mother and father, and playtime. They were not like the corrupt adults who hungered for the warped comforts of power and money. They were pure, pleasant creatures who knew their limitations and embraced them.
Adults were foolish beings, believing that they could defy the hand of God because they are better, stronger, more powerful. When the Elric brothers faulted on their path of virtue, that's when they reached sinister adulthood.
Equivalent exchange. Words that meant the world to Ed when he was little now meant next to nothing to him. Is a life for a life really equivalent exchange? Or just a way to appease grownups into thinking revenge is rightous in the eyes of God?
Where had that blasted phrase gotten them after all these years? Nowhere but more paths of good intentions gone sour and a river of blood from those who were unfortunate enough to cross them on their star-bound path.
And for what? A stone. A mere stone that had more power than anything anyone had ever dreamed of, but with a hefty price.
Human lives. Hundreds, thousands, millions of human lives.
For a little rock about the size of Ed's fingertip.
Was it worth it? Was this exchange "equal"? Or was it another dark myth that whispered into adults' ears, leading them onto a damned path of which there was no return?
Al's footsteps padded heavy on the ground, sinking his body further and further into the sandy depths of the Godforsaken desert. The brothers had walked this path before, but with lighter hearts and brighter hopes.
A city silhouetted itself against the explosion of a horizon. What once may have been a beautiful scene of a blossoming desert town was now a war zone, filled to the brim with dead bodies, chaos, and heavy artillery.
This is what good intentions brought.
A blood-splattered sign hung from its hinges and swung back and forth in the nonexistent breeze. Ed read the sign with stone eyes, solemnly glancing from the text to the destroyed city in front of him.
This was their sin.
"Welcome back to Lior, Al."
A/N: 'Ello. This story really doesn't fit into the series at all, but whatever. I felt as though there were a lot of thoughts going through Ed's head after everything that had happened that I itched to write down and explain, so I did. Ta-da!
I've recently started a Tumblr., so if there are any questions you'd like to ask or if you just want to know when my next one-shot will be coming out, check it out: .com/. You can also send me your stories and I'll critique them. I love reading other people's interpretations of things. It makes me realize how different everyone sees the world.
Even if it's drabble, reviews are always nice! ^^