Edward looked at the small recording device that had arrived in the mail today. After he got the mail and saw the strange little device with it he decided to sit down and listen to what was in it. In the device there was a tape to listen to. He started it up and listened with horror as the first words were said.
"Hey, Brother, Alphonse here, but you could have guessed that," Al said in an unusually timid voice, even for him. "It has been, what two days since I have talked to you," Ed noticed that there was a little hitch in his voice. "I know you think I am in Xing," he took a shaky breath, trying not to sob this early into the recording, "but I am not, I was kidnapped on the way there." Al said and in a voice trying to hold back the sobs threating to come out at any minute. "They said they are going to kill me after I am done recording this, they can hear everything I am saying," he tells Ed, in this vey timid voice that should not be coming out of Alphonse. "But they gave me the location of where I am and told me to tell you." 'More hitches, so close to crying, but not' Ed thought. "I am in Central, apparently, they told me that you should come look for me," another shaky breath "Or more specifically my dead, lifeless, body." There was silence for a little which felt like an eternity to Ed, but only thirty seconds.
"They gave me ten minutes to record and five minutes is up, so I have some things to get off of my chest before I go," a little sob left his lips, even though his tone was strong. "First, tell Win that I love her like my own sister, and I will miss her dearly," a shaky breath "Tell, everyone on Mustang's team and Mustang himself that they are my family that I love so dearly." Another sob escapes his lips and Ed feels that all of the tears that have been held in are about to come crashing out, and Ed is close to tears as well. "And for you Ed, I love you so very much, you are my life and soul," another sob, "But I don't love you like a brother should, I want to hug and kiss and hold you so much that it hurts so much." The dam for his feelings breaks and he starts crying uncontrollably. "I-I-I hope you don't hate me for this, I really do and I only have one minute left so," his shaky, uncontrollably breaths coming out as short gasps. "I love you so much Edward Elric, I really do and I hope you don't hate me for this," then Ed heard a door open and an unfamiliar voice says "Times up," and he heard a gunshot, signifying that the once lively and upbeat Alphonse Elric was now dead. "Hope you enjoy that recording of your brothers last words," this unfamiliar voice said, smile evident in his voice, "very touching, knowing that your little brothers last words were recorded for all eternity," now he was smirking, every single emotion going through this man talking was conveyed in his voice. "Now, goodbye forever, Edward Elric," the recording then shut off.
Edward's tears came rolling down his face. The sobs started to come and he felt like he was the lowest lifeform ever. He started to the air "Al, I love you the same way and I never got the chance to admit it, I'm so sorry I hid that from you thinking you would reject." He then cried and cried in the Rockbell residence. He didn't even hear the door open when Winry came back with the shopping. She heard the crying and she came running over to him, dropping the bags in her arms. "Ed, Ed, tell me what is wrong," Winry said, tone firm but also very tender. He took in shaky breath and explained what just happened and what he had just listened to. Winry knew Ed's feelings towards Al and tried to get him to confess, but now that was never going to happen. She took Ed into a loving embrace that only a sister would do. They both cried for what felt like hours, but I fact only thirty minutes. All during this crying session Ed thought one thing 'it wasn't fair that Al died just after he got his body back.' They both decided to call Mustang, telling them they would be coming to Central tomorrow, and did not tell him why, saying they would tell him when they got there.
After this phone call they went to bed, trying to figure out how to tell Mustang and his crew that Alphonse had died.
The next day they buy two tickets to Central and spend the next several hours on the train and spent those hours trying to figure out how he could have saved his little brother. They get to the station and see Breda and Fuery in the crowd. They take them to Central Command where the rest of the crew are waiting.
They get there and close the door behind them and Mustang's team looks a little surprised. Mustang was the first to speak up after they got there "So Fullmetal, what are you doing back in Central, I thought you were staying in Resembool, while Al went to Xing," at the mention of Al, Ed slumped in his seat, even more so than before. "Edward, does this surprise visit have to do with Al," Mustang said in a firm tone that did not go unnoticed by Ed. After that sentence Ed started to cry uncontrollably, and everyone in the room froze at the sight of Edward crying. Edward never cried in front of anyone, so something big must have happened since he left Central. When Ed started to cry Winry took over, "Well, yesterday, Ed got a recording and listening device," she paused, took a deep breath "what was on it was Al's last words after being kidnapped by someone." She was close to tears, but pushed on anyways "At the end of the recording, there was a gunshot and Al went silent and he was killed," she went silent and her sobs started to come through as she started crying too. Everyone in the room was silent as they heard what had happened.
Roy, as always, was the first to break this silence, but this time with a quiver in his voice, "Do you have the device on you?" he asked. "Yeah, we do," was Ed's quiet, almost silent reply. He reached into his back pocket and grabbed the small device and handed it to Mustang. He listened to the recording with intense ears and trying to find anything that would indicate anything to wear Al's body was. But as he listened everyone in this room started to cry when their part came up. "Tell, everyone on Mustang's team and Mustang himself that they are my family that I love so dearly." That part hit them so hard that even Mustang started to cry. He started to pace the room and saw that somehow Ed was crying even more than when he started earlier.
Then the last few moments of the recording started playing and he recognized that voice. That was the voice of Solf J. Kimbley, the Crimson Alchemist. Surprised that he didn't kill Alphonse with an explosion and now he knew where Al's body was. He silently called his team, asked Riza to stay here and comfort the two on the couch and called the rest of his team out, and went to get Al's body.
After about an half an hour they found his body, a single bullet through his heart, crying silently over the boy that he felt was like a son to him, just like the boy's brother. It pains Roy to see him so heartbroken and seeing Al's lifeless body in front of him just solidified this reality. Al was dead and Ed was grieving for his dead brother.
After standing there for what seemed forever, he called Grumman and told him that Fullmetal's brother was dead. Now he was heading back to Central Command to tell Ed that he found his brother's body. Knowing what that would do for the poor boy will kill Roy.
The ride back feels slow and painful and heartbreaking. Getting back to Central, and getting closer to his office, it seems to quiet. He slowly opens the door and sees that Ed and Winry cried themselves to sleep and the tear tracks on their faces are so prominent that it is hard to miss them. He grabs a blanket and puts it over them and then heads over to his desk so he can sit down. He puts his head down on the desk and starts to cry. He cries and cries and cries for the next hour or so, knowing that one of his sons, foster son, is now dead and it happened so close to Central Command.
The next month was his funeral. Ed decided that Al should be buried next to Trisha and it was a small service. Only close friends came, so Mustang's team, Mei, Ling, Lan Fei, Izumi and Cid, Pinako and Winry, Armstrong and of course Ed. Everyone spoke about how great Alphonse was and how everyone was changed because of him. When it came to be Ed's turn, which was the last speech, it was the most beautiful.
"Alphonse Elric was my little brother and my everything," he started "the only reason I got automail, went through that pain, and joined the military was for him. All of that was for him." Ed started to get choked up. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have met any of you standing out here today honoring my little brother," his breath hitched trying to hold back the tears, "Alphonse was one of the most caring, sweet, and the most honest being on this planet." He continued talking even though he was sure he was going to cry soon, "He would pick up stray cats because he wanted them to have a home and be loved for, and he would care for everyone he ever met, because that was who he was," his sobs almost came out, "he was caring in the most genuine way possible, just trying to help anyone he could," a small sob came from the small form, "the things I remember the most were the things he did that helped my short tempered nature," another sob came out, "always calming me down after rants and holding me back when he thought I would hurt someone, but I never would," and then he felt the sobs racking his body and he ran off of the stage mumbling thanks for coming and saying sorry for running off of the stage.
After the service, he locked himself in his room and didn't come out for anything for the next two days. Roy went up on the third day he went up, transmuted the lock open and went in. What he saw was surprising, he saw Ed curled on the bed, breathing, with pictures of Al and him and his mom all around him. Roy went over to the bed and pulled the boy into a tight hug. "Ed, everything is going to be okay, Al will still be dead, yes, but everyone who was there honoring your brother loves you and your brother and will help you get through this period of grief and help you get out on top," Roy stops and puts a small kiss on his forehead and continues, "and you will get through this and Al would want you to get through and stop grieving over him, just to continue with your life." Ed starts to cry, but not only tears of sadness but tears of joy that people love him and his brother will live on through all of their memories. They would be fine and live on with their lives.
A\N: Hopefully that this didn't pull on your heartstrings too much. I almost cried while writing this, multiple times. Reviews and Favorites will be greatly appreciated. Constructive Criticism only. FLAMES WILL BE DELETED AS SOON AS I SEE THEM. LEAVE THEM AT THE DOOR. Have fun reading any FanFictions you find interesting. Bye!