I just joined resently. YAY! This is my first fullmetal alchemist fanfic but I am proud of it.
In this chapter Ed recollects about his bitter past. In the next chapter things heat up. > So please stick with this story! I just have to say that Fullmetal Alchemist doesn't really have a lot of options for relationships. Don't you think? (Unless you pair off people despite the wrongness of it all; like I did.) YES! RoyXEd!
Anyway on with the fic!
Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. (cries Why? Why cant' I own it!)
-thoughts-
"Speech"
GREEN WITH ENVY
By: JozYyh
CHAPTER 1:
A REDUNDANT QUEST FOR ENDLESS KNOWLEDGE
It started off as a fickle fairy tale that satisfied the fantasies of desperate men. But then it grew into something. It grew so promptly it always seemed to be the truth. No one remembered it to be a senseless dream anymore. It was real and Ed and Al believed that from the beginning.
The philosopher's stone.
Their obligation to make a philosophers' stone was a helpless, never-ending cycle. Regardless of all the tragic stories the Elric Brother's heard, they could not escape its enchanting control. They came face-to-face with the truth and learned about its sacrilege and sickening affects of power. They knew about the horrendous sins and burdens that were placed upon the architect's shoulders. And still the stone's spell infected their thoughts like a virus.
Out of sheer humanity, the Brothers decided to force themselves into finding an alternative. Such naïve fools to think they could forget about the desirable red stone. Their struggles were fruitless. Failure doubted their confidence and once again the stone wheedled back into their lives. All it took was ludicrous lead, a faint whisper of the rock's name and the boy's would eagerly take the bait.
The boys thought they were making their own decisions. But every mission they accepted, every action they chose seemed to be planned out beforehand. Someone wanted them to create a pure philosophers' stone. Someone was tampering with their destiny.
The philosopher's stone.
It was the only way to correct their mistake.
It was their only hope of returning everything back to the way it was.
It was the only solution to bring back Al's body.
Ironic isn't it, some of the worst monstrosities are created from the best intentions?
The rebirth of their mother is the perfect epitome
It was too simple a concept for an adult to accept, but from a child's perspective it made faultless sense.
. . . Collect all the substances contained in a human body . . .
. . . Measure the approximate amounts . . .
. . . And conduct a transmutation.
At first everything ran smoothly. The boy's had smiles filled with joyful anticipation on their faces. It was too much happiness for them to contain, they had to smile. Their mother would be alive, well, and back into their arms in mere minutes.
To them it mattered not if she were wearing makeup and extravagant clothes or sweaty and raggedy from a day's work.
Because their mother's glowing face was enough.
It mattered not if she was scolding them or singing them a lullaby.
Because to hear her harmonious voice was enough.
It mattered not if she was hugging them or disciplining them.
Because to feel their mother's soft touch and unconditional love was enough.
She was coming back. It was all going to happen so soon.
Then, soon came all too fast. It was that day Alphonse and Edward witnessed first-hand how frightening alchemy can be.
Undecipherable small, black hands pulled Al into an azure, meticulous sphere. The dirty blonde haired boy didn't care what god had in store for him on the other side; he just knew he didn't want to go. Al screamed to his brother for help, his hands reaching out with scared and helpless devastation.
"Brother, don't let them take me!" He shrieked like a baby.
Edward hesitated with his own fear and stared in astonishment.
"Ed, help me! Please, brother I don't want to go!"
Collecting himself, Edward lunged forward to grip his hands around his brother's boney wrists. Ed pulled back, tugging on his brother's arms as if it were the rope in a tug of war game. Except this game was unfairly one sided. Young Edward's strength meant nothing in comparison to the dark entities. The entities slowly devoured Alphonse with no sympathy. Before Ed knew it, Al's fingertips were the only visible contrast of his brother's body. Ed fought back will all his stubbornly determined will only to fail.
It was over like that, in a blink of an eye.
Al was gone . . .
. . . swallowed up . . .
. . . forever
Ed flinched in tension as he heard a gagged rupture of speech. His body shivered with dread and was almost too scared to look over his shoulder.
His eyes widened to their limit and his teeth chattered.
There it was. . .
. . . their twisted creation.
It had no mind, no life, and no heart. It was a rotting pile of flesh with a disfigured mouth and eyes. Its mouth couldn't speak, but crackled and choked to breathe. Its eyes couldn't blink, but stared endlessly towards the ceiling.
-This has to be a bad dream. That . . . that thing can't be her! Where is she! I want to see her! This isn't supposed to happen! Why isn't she smiling at me with Al sleeping in her arms! What—where did we go wrong! Where's my mom! Where's my brother! We didn't exchange this!-
No.
Ed wouldn't let it end like this.
Ed followed in after Al and begged at 'their' door like the callow child he was.
"Please I'll do anything! Give me back my brother! Bring him back!" He appealed.
When nothing changed, Ed pounded his small fists brutally against the door to make them listen, make them pay attention.
A creak was left open in the giant door, just enough to peek through. Startled, Ed looked into the living mass of darkness and found a pair of bright amethyst eyes to fall into. It hurt to look into those eyes.
Before Ed knew what happened hands eagerly latched onto his body to claim their part of the deal. Ed panicked. His hands tried to pry them off, clawing and flailing around in a spasmodic manner. His arm and leg were steadily vanishing like pixels from an image. Ed gave a shocked gasp and struggled to free himself before all the pieces scattered away. Frantic, he tried to catch the tiny particles before they all were absorbed by the meticulous shade. It was of no use.
Ed's conscious quietly reminded him of the promise he swore.
He would bring Al back at all costs. Even if those costs were his right arm and left leg.
Ed's body was numb all this time like doctors gave him injections of anesthetic to ease the pain. That comfort lasted briefly. Edward's body came crashing down into the tiny room with a loud 'thud'. There was blood, so much blood. Can one human being have this much blood? Ed screamed agonizingly and hot tears of anguish flowed freely.
It was done.
They got what they wanted.
What they imagined seemed like a mocking joke.
Alchemy has no remorse or mercy, a lesson neither boy forgot from that day on.
It wasn't their fault
Every human has flaws. Children, however; were cursed with an innocent mind.
They believed the impossible was possible and suffered from it.
Playing god has its own set of rules.
"Brother have you finished that book yet?" Al's voice chimed in Ed's ears.
"Huh?" came Ed's absentminded response. His mind was drifting off, replaying memories of a dark time. Ed shook his head and blinked a few times to return to reality.
"I asked if you finished reading."
Ed's mouth opened in a wide yawn. His eyes burned from overuse and they pleaded to stay shut. Reluctantly Ed forced them open again.
"Yeah, just a few more pages."
Ed's body language said it all: he was dead tired. It was no wonder, really. They had been up since dawn of the previous day researching. Al could go day after day without any rest, but his brother was a different situation all together. Ed needed to sleep.
Al had not let a single word slip about his brothers abnormal sleeping habits. Ed was not the type to be provoked. Nevertheless, Al decided to stop keeping a tacit mind about his brother's unhealthy lifestyle.
"You should get some sleep. It's late."
"Don't worry so much Al. Besides, sleep won't do me any good. I'd be up all night anyway trying to crack this puzzle anyhow." Ed stated matter-of-factly.
Al mentally sighed. This was not going to be easy.
"If you say so." Al yielded.
Ed released another elongated yawn, rubbing his eyes in attempts to stop the haze of sleep.
As long as Alphonse remained in the room, Ed was going to hold out all night.
"I am going out to find some more books. I should back after awhile."
"Mm-hm." Ed replied dreamily.
The door was shut behind him and Ed's body relaxed as he sank further into the sofa. His eyes tried to follow the words on the pages, but were falling miserably. The parchment blurred into an illegible blob and Ed was encouraged to shut his eyes. This time, his heavy eyelids persuaded him to sleep.
And so I end chapter 1. Hope you like it so far. Oh, and I promise it gets better! A review or criticizim would be appricated greatly. I need to get opinion on what people think about my ideas, style, etc. Thanks in advance.