Disclaimer: Hiromu Arakawa's! I am just 'borrowing' her characters for a bit of sick tale…

SORROW OF A SURVIVOR
by xinping

"Whatever happened to Ed?"

Alphonse Elric stood in the gloomily-lit kitchen, his body facing his childhood friend Winry Rockbell, but not his face. He was silent; honestly he did not know how to answer. He did not want to lie to her and yet his elder brother had told him not to tell anyone what had become of him.

The truth was that Edward Elric, elder brother of Alphonse Elric, was dead. Well, not really dead, just…gone to another world. Even though that was the truth, his brother was not dead and was completely alive in another world, he was as good as dead. Because Alphonse was in his body.

Alphonse remembered it all well, as if it had just happened; they had gone to meet the Truth again in front of the Gate. Alphonse had met his own body there, naked, yes, but quite alive, though it had been years ago that the Truth had taken it away from him. His brother had gotten back his limbs and the automail replacements had dropped to the ground, noisy clanks in the silent world of the Truth.

The Philosopher's Stone had helped in the payment of their entrance fee to the Truth's world and Edward's limbs, but not for the return of Alphonse's body. The Truth was good but it was also cruel; in exchange for a body to house Alphonse's soul, Edward had to be sacrificed. Alphonse closed his eyes and he could still hear the screams from his brother as his soul was forcefully pulled into the Gate.

"Al, don't worry about me. I'll be back, tell them I'll be back. Take good care of my body. Don't tell them what had happened to me, just tell them I'll be back, OK?"

"Al, answer me!" Winry demanded. She was crying. The screwdriver she was holding moments before was on the floor.

Alphonse hung his head. "I am sorry. I cannot tell you."

Winry grabbed Alphonse by his collar and punched him hard for a few times, but still Alphonse would not say. She was crying very hard as she punched him for the last time and sank onto the floor, sobbing and muttering Edward's name.

"Didn't he say a Philosopher's Stone was all it takes to get back his limbs? And your body? Whatever has happened to him? Where is he? Why are you in his body? Why? Why!? WHY!?"

Alphonse watched her crying. It was tearing at his heart and he really wanted to tell her everything, but he could not. To betray his brother, his fellow sinner, was unthinkable. As sinners they were destined to be condemned. The Truth was just doing its job, and so was the Gate. No one was to be blamed except themselves.

"I am sorry…" The apology was the only thing Alphonse could say. Still Winry's tears flowed. Still the part where it hurt most throbbed with pain. Still Edward was in another world. He was never coming back. The Truth had done its job efficiently.

Sinners are people who have defied the Laws of Nature, who have tried to bring the dead back to life. The rules of Equivalent Exchange must be obeyed by all, nevertheless of rank and social status. Alchemists lived for the sake of others; not for themselves. By living for themselves they had become traitors and sinners, and these the Elric brothers would remain, until the end of time.

A/N: I found out that I love killing off my most favourite characters. I know, it's heartless, but I just found out. It came as a shock actually; I was reading back some of my stories and my favourite characters all seemed to drop dead in one way or another. Whoa! Is this NORMAL!?

I typed this out before my English teacher had time to comment it. Yes, I wrote this during English class (again!).

I love reading Naruto fanfics, but I'm bad at writing them. So why am I ok at FMA fanfics but I hate to read them!? (Weird dilemma)

Actually I ran out of ideas for my FMA x Bleach fanfic "The Damned Thing", so I had to write a oneshot fanfic to keep myself sane.

R&R please!