Shackles
Author's Note~ Alright so I decided I'll update this mini-collection annually on this day. Why? Well, why not?
Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist and I also did not create this celebration.
"From now on, you shall be known as Fullmetal."
Those words still rang in his ears like a church bell. Fullmetal. Fullmetal Alchemist. That was his state alchemist name.
State alchemist. He fished out the pocket watch from his pocket. It was shiny and silver with the Amestris symbol on it. It was a nice watch. It was hard to believe that such a simple item could give him so much power. With this watch, he was practically chained to the military. But, why? Why did he go to all of the trouble? Why did he take away his own freedom?
He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the shiny suit of armor sitting on the other side of the room, it's eyes dark, as if it were asleep. But he knew better. He knew that the soul inside that armor would never sleep…not til it reunited with it's body. That was the reason why'd he signed away his life.
For the sake of that suit of armor.
Little did anybody know, that intimidating suit of armor just happened to house the soul of a kind-hearted 11 year old boy. His brother. His brother was in that armor now. All because of him. Because of his own selfishness and arrogance, his younger brother was now unable to eat, sleep, cry, or feel anything.
Because of him, his brother was caught in a hollow metal prison, unable to get out. And the worst part was, Al didn't blame him. Al was too humble. It killed him inside every time his brother talked to him and sparred with him the same as they did when they were children. It killed him inside that his brother still loved him, even after what he was condemned to.
The only way he could even think of atoning for his sin was to give up his independence. If Al had to live in a prison, then dammit, so would he. His brother would not be the only one to suffer. He stared at the watch, his shackles. They were unbreakable. The only way to remove them was with the key. And as far as he knew, that key could be unattainable.
His brother's body. That was the answer to everything. He stared at his brother's still form as the train started moving.
Even if his shackles were somehow removed, where would they go? They didn't have a home anymore. He found himself staring at the horizon, in the direction of where their house used to be. It was gone now. They'd made sure of that. They'd watched it burn to the ground along with every possession they'd owned. Winry had cried for it.
Winry.
He'd hurt her too. He truly was unforgivable. The tears running down her face…it was still fresh in his mind. He really shouldn't be thinking about it so much. It would only slow him down. But…he didn't want to forget, because at the same time, it was pushing him forward. He stared at the watch, the silver glinting in the moonlight. He used alchemy to turn his index finger into a small knife. He quietly and efficiently carved the figures into the silver plating, making sure every curve was sharp and readable.
Once he was finished, he smiled at the finished metal bitterly. His shackles had just been tightened. Every day, he would look at this, and remind himself that he was still bonded. And that bond would never break until they achieved their goal. The message to himself to keep moving forward, no matter what.
Don't forget.
3 Oct 11
A/N~ Happy FMA Day!
Review, please! :D
